Safe Unsafe
by kittensandcombatboots
Summary: Sequel to Misplaced Affections. AU/All Human. Set nine months after the Cullens move to Forks. Everything is changing and no one can keep up. All they can do is hold on to each other and hope they make it out alive.
1. I Saw This One Coming

A/N: Here it is: the sequel to Misplaced Affections. The story title and the chapter title both come from the song "Safe Unsafe" by The Hush Sound. I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

I Saw This One Coming

APOV

There had been this sense, this atmosphere that had come over me. It had been there for several days, but had intensified as I lay on Jasper's bed. He paced around the room. I think that he felt it too.

Then, I just knew. I couldn't explain how I knew, but it was as clear to me as 2+2 equals 4 or that the sky—excluding Forks, where it rained unceasingly—was blue. I looked up at Jasper and, at the same moment, he stopped pacing. His deep brown eyes looked back at me.

"Everything is about to change," I said. He nodded.

"Good or bad?" he asked. I bit my bottom lip.

"Both. But I think that it will all work out."

"What about for us?"

I looked at him curiously. We'd been dating for nine months and he had never asked me about the future of our relationship. Something was up.

The vision hit me hard and fast, knocking all traces of air from my lungs. It was clearer than any other vision I had ever had. The others were all muddy and murky, as if I was looking through a glass of pond scum. This, however, was brilliant technicolor.

It took a few seconds for my eyes to readjust, but when they did, I saw only his face. Jasper was next to me on the bed. He held my face in his hands.

"Are you okay? What did you see?" His voice was wrought with concern. The smile bubbling up in me overflowed.

"Yes," I said. Jasper blinked a few times, his mouth turned into a frown. I kissed him.

"It would have been nice if I was able to ask you," he said, pouting.

"You can still ask." He just stared at me. His face looked so incredulous. I had to giggle.

"You already said yes," he said, as if I had already forgotten what I said.

"I thought that you were a romantic, Jasper Hale. Where is your sense of romance?" I asked.

He climbed off his bed, dragging me with him. His eyes magnified his intensity. Carefully, as if I would break, Jasper kissed me. Then, he lowered himself to one knee.

"I love you. I adore you. You are my everything. And I know that I am a better man because you are in my life. I want you for always and for forever. And I really hope that you want me too. Alice Cullen, will you marry me?"

EPOV

I knocked on the Swan's front door. Charlie answered. He looked confused to see me.

"Bella isn't here," he told me.

"I know," I said. "I came to see to you."

He continued to look confused, but he let me in. Charlie led me into the living room. He sat down in his recliner. I sat on the couch.

"What can I do for you, Edward?"

"I would like to talk to you about something, Chief Swan," I said. He laughed at me.

"You've been dating my daughter for like nine months, Edward. I think that it is okay if you call me Charlie."

"Yes, sir. As you might know, Alice's and my birthday is coming up and I'm going to Chicago to take care of some legal issues--" he interrupted me here.

"Legal issues? You don't have a warrant out for your arrest or anything, do you?" he asked jokingly.

"I'm sure that you've already done a background check and know that I don't even have a parking ticket on my record." He nodded. "I'm going to Chicago. And I want Bella to come with me."

I looked at him. He was thinking "no." More accurately, he was thinking "hell no."

"I don't think that is a very good idea," he said calmly, with only a slight edge in his voice,

"I do realize what I am asking. And I know that you have a gun. I'm trying to be honest and upfront with you. Is there anything I can do to have you reconsider?" I asked.

I was more than convinced that Charlie would suggest my untimely demise. Or castration. One of the two. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Can you tell me a little more about this trip? Legal issues aren't exactly settling." This I could do without physical pain.

"It's nothing serious, Charlie. I just need to take care of some trust fund stuff from my mother and grandparents. And I'm going to visit my father. Alice still doesn't want to see him and she has already signed all the papers. I'm being a little selfish. I want Bella for moral support."

He nodded. I had told him a few months before about my parents. Charlie remembered the case from the news. He was shocked to find out that we were the Masen kids.

"Trust fund?" He whistled. "A lot?"

I laughed and his eyebrows shot up.

"Yes, we will be acquiring a sizable chunk of wealth. It would be enough that neither Bella nor I would have to work for the rest of our lives." I realized what I had said immediately after it came out. It did sound like I was suggesting marrying Bella even though we were both seventeen. The "hell no" look reappeared on Charlie's face.

"I'm going to ignore that comment for now, but we will be talking about it another time. As for this trip, can I have a few days to think about it?"

RPOV

I stood in the doorway of his bedroom just watching him. He hadn't noticed me yet; he was too enthralled by his Xbox game. Emmett looked so happy, so child-like. And I was about to take that all away from him. I hated myself for it.

"Hey, Em," I said. He didn't even turn to look at me.

"Hey, Beautiful. What can I do you for?"

"We need to talk." I didn't mean to say that—that stereotypical line—but it just came out.

"Are you breaking up with me?" he asked jokingly, still not looking away from the television screen.

"No," I whispered. "Emmett, look at me." I swallowed hard, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Just a second. Oh. Oh. Die, scum, die!" he yelled at the game.

Emotions ran through me. Anger. Envy. Fear. But I loved him and I realized that I couldn't do this to him.

"I lied earlier. We have to break up."

I turned to walk away/ The sounds from his game stopped. Emmett's hand grabbed my elbow. He turned me around to face him. One look in his eyes and I fell apart. His strong arms encircled me, pulling me to his chest.

"Rosie," he said, using his nickname for me that he knew I hated, but called my anyway. "What is going on? What's wrong?"

He sounded so concerned. It just made me cry harder. I couldn't do this to him.

"You can tell me anything." I shook my head.

"Not this."

"Is it bad?" he aske. I nodded. "Did you cheat on me?" I laughed once.

"I wish that it was that simple." I looked down. He lifted my chin, so that I was looking directly in his eyes. He gulped.

"Oh, God. You're pregnant." I didn't say anything. "You are, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Is it mine?" he asked.

My jaw dropped. Before I realized what I was doing, I slapped him hard across the face.

"Oh, fuck, Rosalie. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm sorry."

I couldn't say anything. I just wiped the tears from my eyes. He frowned.

"A kid? What are we going to do?" I sniffed and pulled away from him.

"_We're_ not doing anything. _I'm _having a baby."

He looked devastated.

"You don't want me to be a part of the baby's life?"

* * *

Tell me what you think. And, also, since I left all the stories hanging, you all get to decide which storyline you want the next chapter to be about. I won't post until I can get an accurate sampling, so it will probably be tomorrow before you get chapter two.


	2. You Swear You Loved Me More

I forgot last chapter, but I need to thank amgglekim, without whom there wouldn't be a sequel. In one of the reviews, I got the inspiration for part of the plot of the sequel. So, yeah, amgglekim should be everyone's new best friend. And the title of this chapter comes from "There Is" by Box Car Racer.

This is totally not the direction this particular plot line was going to take, but when I sat down to write it the characters wouldn't allow anything else to happen. I don't know if you all will be happy with it. Here it is, a little earlier than I planned.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

You Swear You Loved Me More

RPOV

"A kid? What are we going to do?" I sniffed and pulled away from him.

"_We're_ not doing anything. _I'm _having a baby."

He looked devastated.

"You don't want me to be a part of the baby's life?"

"I…I can't ruin your life too Emmett. I love you too much for that. This way you can have a future. You can go to college. You can…I don't know. I can't…do this to you."

"Shut up," he said, his face hard.

"What?" I asked. The tears began to fall again. I swallowed back the bile that was inching its way up my throat. This was what I wanted, I told myself. I wanted him to be free of me. I couldn't be a dead weight on him.

"Rosalie Lillian Hale, do you honestly believe any of that crap that you just said?" I nodded. Emmett grabbed something from his bedside table and threw it at the wall. The sound of impact made me wince.

I made another move for the door. Emmett grabbed me by the hips and pulled me back. He sat me on his bed and told me to stay there. Sitting next to me, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, Emmett groaned.

"I love you," he said fiercely. "I love you, okay? I love you."

"I heard you the first time," I informed him, a little rudely.

"But you don't seem to understand. I love you. And apart from you I have no future. I'm going to be in this child's life, taking it to baseball games or Barbie movies or cooking breakfast together. I'm going to teach the kid to drive and take him to get his first tattoo." Emmett laughed.

"No child of mine is getting a tattoo," I said, smiling through the tears. He took my hand.

"I know that you are scared, Honey, but it's going to be okay. We are going to be okay. I'll be right here next to you."

I put my other hand on top of his, so that it was sandwiched between mine.

"I don't know what I would do without you," I whispered.

"Who else knows?" he asked. I let out a deep breath.

"No one. I figured that the father should be the first to know." I felt Emmett start to shake. "Are you okay?"

"I'm going to be a father. I'm going to be a dad to a person."

I sniffed and laughed. "Yeah."

"Oh, God, that's a terrifying thought."

When I realized that I was going to have a baby, I puked. The thought alone was paralyzing. I never in a million years dreamed that I would be that girl, the one who gets pregnant and her entire life is over before it even starts. I didn't want to be that girl and I didn't want to make Emmett that guy.

"We are going to have to tell your parents," I said.

"What about yours?" he replied defensively. I stared at him.

"My parents have been home twice in the last year. I'll call them, but yours are right here, an active part of your life. And I love your parents." I started crying again. Emmett rubbed my back.

"Okay, okay, Baby, you need to just take a deep breath. We'll tell them. We'll tell them whenever you feel up to it." He was being so sweet and strong. I realized, though, that he had to be falling apart inside like I was. A baby. Everything was about to change.

"I love you," I told him.

"I love you more."

We waited until Carlisle got him from his shift at the hospital to tell them. We went into his office and I could tell that he knew. There was something in his eyes. Esme smiled at me and I savored it, believing that she would never smile at me again.

True to his promise, Emmett never left my side. He never even let go of my hand. We were holding onto each other like it was the only thing keeping us from floating away. And maybe it was.

Carlisle didn't yell. And Esme didn't say that she was disappointed. It might have been better if they had. I broke down again after we told them and Emmett held me while I cried, his parents watching.

"Shh. Baby. Everything will be okay. I'm right here. I have you. Nothing bad can happen when you are here in my arms." I believed him. I had to.

Esme came up next to me and started rubbing my back.

"Come on, Rosalie. Let's go eat dinner. You have that baby to think about now. And I'll make you an appointment tomorrow, unless you already have." I shook my head. "Okay. It's settled. I'll take you to the doctor."

Esme removed me almost entirely from Emmett, excluding the hand that he wouldn't let go, and took me down the stairs. I ate quickly, not bothering to look at anyone else at the table. I knew that Alice and Edward were staring at me. And I knew that they were wondering why my face was all red and puffy and why Emmett didn't say a single word.

I got up to leave and Emmett stood up too. I looked at him curiously. He just stared back.

"I need to go talk to Jasper," I told him.

"Okay, let's go." We both glared stubbornly.

"I drove my car here. There is no point in going back and forth."

"I'll follow you in my jeep," he said. Neither of us was going to back down.

"That's ridiculous, Emmett. And a waste of precious natural resources." He laughed at me, but not his joking laugh. He was entirely way too serious. "Plus, Jasper is going to kill you."

"Fine. You can talk to him alone, but let me follow you home."

Everyone was watching us. I waited for his siblings to understand what was going on. All the pieces were falling into place and it wouldn't be long before they knew.

"Why? What is the point?" I yelled at him.

"I want to make sure that the love of my life makes it home alive. Is that too much to ask?" he yelled back.

I started crying again. I blame it on the hormones. Why did I have to be so freaking stubborn? He was being perfect about everything and I was being a bitch.

He wrapped his arms around me, confirming his amazingness. I wiped my eyes. And tried, for the millionth time that day, to calm myself down.

"I'm sorry, Rosie. I didn't mean to yell at you. You know how much you mean to me and, after everything that has happened today, I couldn't stand it if something happened to you." He looked me straight in the eyes and I understand everything that he didn't say. I couldn't stand it if something happened to you or the baby.

Emmett followed me to my house in his jeep. Unlike his promise to let me tell Jasper alone, he came inside with me, holding tightly onto my hand. Jasper was sitting on the couch, smiling radiantly.

He jumped up when he saw me. "I have something to tell you," he said.

"Me too. You first." I faked a smile. He wasn't too happy to see through it, but he didn't say anything.

"Alice and I are getting married." Whoa.

"Oh my gosh," I said, throwing my arms around him to hug him. "That's so great. I'm so happy for you."

"Emmett, I know this must be weird for you, but I love Alice and I hope that you can respect that," Jasper said. Emmett burst out laughing.

"You have no idea." He laughed again. "I'm happy for you, bro. And I know you make Ali happy."

"What was your news?" Jasper asked. I hesitated and my brother frowned.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered after a few second of awkward silence.

Before I realized what happened, Jasper punched Emmett in the jaw. I gasped. Then, I shoved my brother.

"What the fuck, Jasper? I'm the one who is pregnant, not him."

"You wouldn't be pregnant if it wasn't for him," he growled menacingly. "And I was worried about upsetting you. How did this happen?"

"Well, Jasper, when two people love each other very much—" My brother interrupted me.

"Cut the crap, Rosalie. I'm being serious." He sounded more like my father than my twin.

"I don't know. We were being careful. It just happened."

Jasper took a deep breath. "So, this is what she meant," he said cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked, speaking again. There was blood dripping in the corner of his mouth.

"Alice. She said that everything was going to change."

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I would greatly enjoy your thoughts, opinions, and comments. Seriously, be brutal.


	3. More Than You Bargained For

A/N: This chapter caused a lot of drama. I typed it up and then I couldn't find it anywhere. I thought that I didn't save it and I was going to have to completely re-write it. But I found it hiding in a folder where it wasn't supposed to be.

The title of this chapter comes from "Sugar, We're Going Down" by Fall Out Boy.

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

More than You Bargained For

BPOV

"I don't understand why you won't tell me where we are going?" I complained for the seven hundredth time. "It's your birthday and I'm being surprised. That hardly seems fair."

Edward laughed at me. He sat in the rocking chair in my bedroom. It was a miracle that Charlie had let him come up to my room. It was an even bigger miracle that Charlie was letting me take a trip with him…alone for a week.

Charlie had talked to Carlisle for like two hours. After that, he said I could go. But my gorgeous boyfriend still wouldn't tell me where exactly we were going.

"Would you tell me if I guessed?" I asked.

"I'm surprised you haven't guessed already," he said. "It should be very obvious." He smiled.

I wanted to punch him. Why couldn't he just tell me? Sometimes the boy annoyed the crap out of me. Other times I couldn't force myself from his arms. It had to be love.

"Jacksonville?" It was where Renee was currently residing with her new husband.

"No. But do you want to go see your mom? I can make the arrangements." I frowned.

"You've already paid for everything on this trip. Let's just get through it."

Edward laughed at me again. "Do you not like me paying for everything?"

His eyes were burning, though he played the question off. He really wanted to know. I sighed, not really wanting to answer.

"Yeah, sometimes. It wouldn't be so bad if you chose to go somewhere that wasn't insanely expensive. I don't like you wasting all your money on me," I answered truthfully, looking directly into his eyes.

Edward pulled me into his lap. I glanced at the door, waiting for my father to burst into the room with a gun and shoot my boyfriend dead. It didn't happen.

He brushed the hair that had fallen in front of my eyes. His smile was soft and careful. It made me anxious.

"I'm not wasting my money on you. I consider it an investment. And I really hope that you grow out of this irrational distaste of my spending money on you." My stomach did a flip. It sounded like he was going to be spending even more money in the near future. I tried to joke to cover up my anxiety.

"Was that a short person joke? Grow out of?" Edward chuckled softly. Taking my hand and kissing it.

"Silly Bella. I love everything about you, including how vertically challenged you are." In mock outrage, I gently backhanded him.

Edward let go of me suddenly and stood me on my feet. I turned around to face him and his eyes were wide. I didn't understand what was going on.

"Go pack," he said quietly. I quickly walked to the other side of the room and started pulling clothes out of my closet.

"Hey, Bells?" I heard Charlie's voice. I turned to see him standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, Dad?" His eyes were scanning the room, trying to determine the distance between me and Edward.

"I was just wondering what time you guys were leaving for the birthday party?" He was referring to Alice and Edward's birthday party. It was going to be huge. All of Forks High was invited. And though it was for both twins, it was, in reality, Alice's party.

"In about fifteen minutes," Edward answered for me. "She has yet to even pack half of her bag, even though we are leaving tomorrow morning." Charlie laughed.

"It would be easier if I knew where I was going," I argued.

"Bella, it is late June. Pretty much anywhere is going to be warm." I sighed angrily at Edward.

"Okay, I get that. But are we talking Phoenix warm or Forks warm, because there is a little bit of a difference?"

"Pack whatever you want. If the clothes aren't appropriate, I'll just have to buy you more when we get there." I glared at him, open mouthed.

"Sometimes I really hate you, Edward Cullen." He and Charlie both laughed at me.

I turned around in a fit and just started pulling random items of clothing from my closet. Mostly, I grabbed the new things that Alice had bought me. She knew where I was going and wouldn't steer me wrong. At least, I hoped not. I didn't need new clothes that Edward had bought me too. Jeans and a t-shirts were enough for me. The last thing I grabbed was Edward's shirt that I had never given back. It was his favorite and had become my favorite too. I slept in it every night.

I folded everything and put it in the massive black suit case. It all fit perfectly. I zipped it up and put my hands up in the air.

"Happy?" I asked.

"Very much so," Edward said with a smile.

"What time are you going to be back from the party, Bells?" Charlie asked, still leaning against the doorway.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask the driver?" I said, noticing that Charlie rarely addressed Edward.

"It won't be very late. Maybe twelve. Bella needs a good night's sleep, because tomorrow is going to be a long day. Does that sound okay?"

Charlie nodded. "Yep, sounds good."

I grabbed Alice's present and walked downstairs. Charlie and Edward followed behind me. My boyfriend opened the door for me. We started walking to his car.

From behind us, my father yelled, "No drinking. No drugs. No sex."

"Yes, sir, Chief Swan," Edward said, as he opened the passenger side door for me.

Alice greeted us at the door. She was happier than I had ever seen her. And I knew that a party for herself would be even bigger than the graduation party that she threw for Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie. I internally groaned just thinking about the party she would be throwing for our graduation next year.

Alice flashed me her engagement ring again. Every time I saw it, my stomach churned a little. She was seventeen when she was engaged. She and Edward were the same age. Would he want to get married early too? Was I ready for marriage? Did I even want to marry Edward?

"Bella, what's wrong?" Jasper asked. He had come and stood next to his fiancée. Edward and Alice both looked at me, their green eyes serious.

"I'm fine," I said, avoiding the question. "I just got momentarily stunned by Alice's rock. My gosh, Jasper, it's ginormous." Joking was the best way out of any awkward situation, at least in my experience.

Jasper smiled. "Only the best for the love of my life." Alice kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, Bella," Alice started to say in her cheery voice, "Thank you for the present. I love it." I rolled my eyes.

"You haven't even opened it yet." Her apparent gift was sometimes annoying.

"I know. But I love it. And I'm going to miss you. I don't know what I'm going to do for a week without you."

"Probably make out with Jasper," I said. Edward frowned. Jasper leaned in to kiss Alice again.

"Ugh," Edward groaned. "I'm going to go find Emmett and Rose."

He took off, but, because he was still holding my hand, he pulled me with him. I didn't complain. Why would I? I loved the boy.

Rosalie and Emmett were sitting on the living room couch, drinking mineral water. Em looked miserable. I could tell that he really wanted a beer, but he had given them up while Rosalie was pregnant.

Pregnant. She was only nineteen. And she had only graduated from high school a month ago. I knew that Rosalie was terrified out of her mind. Emmett too. Edward had told me that the night that Em found out he cried. Edward heard him from his room.

They were both so young, just a few years older than I was. Excluding the fact that Edward and I were still virgins, it could have just as easily been me being pregnant. I loved Rose and I promised to be there for her. She was my sister and best friend.

"Hey Rose. How are you feeling?" Edward asked.

"Exhausted. I slept like nine hours and I'm still tired. And I feel really lightheaded all the time." He smiled sympathetically at her. I noticed that Edward had been especially sweet to her. He was amazing.

"How's my niece doing in there?" Rosalie laughed. I didn't understand.

"Niece?" I asked. "I thought it was too early to tell."

She smiled and looked at me. "It is, but Edward and Emmett both insist that it is going to be a girl. Jasper claims that it will be a boy. Apparently, they have a bet going."

"Diaper duty," Emmett said with a smile. "Though, I'm pretty sure that I'm getting that either way, so…"

"What is Alice saying?" I asked.

"Alice is keeping quiet. I think that is for my sake. I want it to be a surprise."

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I would love it if you reviewed.


	4. My Feelings For You Are Forever

A/N: Someone asked about Alice's visions and maybe I haven't been very clear about that. Like in the books, Alice had visions while she was human. But, because she is human, the visions aren't as clear or accurate as they would be if she was a vampire.

The chapter title comes from "Forever" by Papa Roach

Disclaimer: Twilight doesn't belong to me.

My Feelings For You Are Forever

APOV

My birthday party was much more tame than the first party that I threw in Forks. Carlisle and Esme were there, patrolling the room. This meant that alcohol was non-existent. And all the bedrooms were locked. They said they didn't want any more baby making happening in the house. That meant that all we could really do was dance and dancing with my fiancée while my parents watched was not exactly…I don't know it just felt so wrong.

Carlisle and Esme blew a gasket when Jasper and I told them that we were getting married. I found out later that Em and Rose had told them just a few hours before that she was pregnant. Not the best day to spring my good news on them.

They went into this whole big spiel about how I was so young. I barely knew Jasper. Marriage is a very serious and sacred institution. The decision to marry should not be taken lightly. I told them—and this was probably not my finest moment—that they seemed a little hypocritical. Esme got married to Carlisle when she was twenty after knowing him for six months.

My parents were less than pleased with me and I feared—seriously—that they were going to take away my birthday. I know a lot of parents threaten that, but I could have become the first kid in history to actually experience it. In the end, they said it wouldn't be fair to Edward to cancel the party. Silly parents. This was most definitely my party.

I stood next to Jasper as he cut the four tier birthday cake. I had to call seven bakeries to find one that could make the cake exactly as I wanted in my time limit. He scooped one huge piece on a plate and grabbed a fork.

One of his long arms snaked its way around my waist and pulled me to the couch next to Rosalie. I eyed the massive piece of cake. There was no way that I could eat that. And I really doubted that even my fiancée, who had a healthy appetite, could eat the whole thing.

"You have half the cake on your plate," I told him. Jasper smiled.

"Our plate," he said. "I figured that we should start getting used to this whole 'what's-yours-is-mine' crap."

"So, we're sharing? Is that what you are saying?" He nodded. "Okay."

I stole the fork from his hand and took a bite of the cake. It was fantastic. I had chosen the right bakery.

Jasper held out his hand. I held out the fork. When he tried to grab it, I pulled it away. He pouted for a second. Then, his eyes flashed with an idea. It got me worried.

Jasper lifted the plate of cake up and licked the entire top, somehow managing to leave most of the frosting. I shook my head and laughed. Using the fork, I scooped me up another bite. I ate it all.

"Please, love," I said. "I've had your spit in my mouth before."

"Oh, God," Emmett said from behind me, "I so didn't need to hear that." He handed Rosalie a piece of cake.

"Grow up, Emmett. I have to deal with the fact that my sister is pregnant. And, as much as I would love to believe that it is because she is carrying the savior of the world, I'm pretty sure that it is because you slept with her," Jasper replied.

"Yeah and you punched me because of it. I haven't punched you. Do I have reason to? Is that why you guys are getting married? Did you get Alice pregnant?" Emmett started freaking out. He was under so much stress since he found out about Rose. He hadn't been sleeping.

"Bub," I said, getting up to hug him. "I'm not pregnant. And everything is going to be okay, okay?" He nodded.

I begged Emmett and Rosalie to go up to his room and lay down. The dark circles under their eyes made them look like they were among the living undead. A good night' sleep would do them both a world of good.

I started opening up my mountain of presents. Birthdays and Christmas weren't as much for me as I figured they were for other people. I usually had a fairly good idea what I was getting. There were only a couple random presents that I never saw coming.

Carlisle and Esme got me pots and pans. No joke. I looked at them in curiosity. I had seen them getting me a new plasma screen TV.

"What every young married woman needs," Esme explained to me. "Now I just need to teach you how to cook."

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I Know that it is short, but the next few chapters are going to be longer, so I'm hoping that you'll let me get away with it. Review.


	5. Chicago Bursts To Life

A/N: The next few chapters are going to focus on Edward and Bella. I will get back to the other story lines, but their trip is important and I want to focus on it for a while.

The title comes from "Eyes Open" by Snow Patrol.

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Chicago Bursts To Life

BPOV

"Edward," I complained. "Will you just tell me where we are going?"

He was driving us to the airport in Seattle. And, as usually, he was driving like a maniac. To keep me from flipping out over his driving, I had resorted to whining.

"What is my favorite place in the whole world?" he asked with a smile on his face.

"My bedroom," I answered. He smiled wide, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly. I always blushed. It was empowering to know that I could make him blush too.

I was referring to a few weeks before when Edward came to pick me up for our date, but Charlie was out fishing with Billy. I wasn't ready yet, so I asked Edward if he would keep my company while I finished. It was just a polite gesture. It would have been rude to make him sit downstairs all by his lonesome.

We ended up on my bed. And we kissed…a little. Who am I kidding? We made out, tongue and everything. But we never went any farther, whether because Edward didn't want to or because he thought I didn't want to, I didn't know.

"Okay. I'll concede that. Where is my second favorite place in the world?" He asked.

My mind kept playing all the places that he had ever talked about. He said that he wanted to visit London. He had been to Tokyo when he was three. And it hit me. I was stupid. I couldn't believe that I had thought of it sooner.

"We're going to Chicago," I said, still in disbelief about how oblivious I had been. Edward laughed.

"Finally, the girl gets it," he said. "I'm so excited."

He looked excited. His face was practically glowing. Never before had he looked more like an angel.

"What are we going to do in Chicago?" I asked. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"You want the full itinerary?" Reluctantly, I nodded.

"Well, we are going to land about 4:30 pm Chicago time. Then, a car is going to take us to the hotel. A valet will take our bags up to the room." I huffed.

"You don't have to be that specific," I said. "Wait, where are we staying? It isn't too expensive is it?" I knew that it would be. I almost hoped that he would just lie to me.

"We are staying at the W Lakeshore. I have a suite. And we will be discussing the issue of money later in the trip, so let's not worry about it right now." His voice had an edge on it. I think I made him mad. But he just didn't seem to understand my position on this.

"A suite?" I asked quietly. He turned to look at me, exhaling a deep breath.

"Yeah. Part of the agreement with Charlie so that you could come was that you get your own bedroom, but I didn't want you to be too far, so I got a suite. You have your own room and I still get to see you as much as you'll let me." I smiled at him.

I couldn't believe my father. He didn't trust me at all. And maybe he shouldn't. I had made out with my boyfriend on my bed instead of go to dinner. A whole week with Edward alone. I wasn't sure that I would be able to resist.

We made it through security and had to wait an hour and a half before boarding our plane. We decided, and by "we," I mean Edward decided, that we should eat lunch before we got on the plane. We just grabbed pizza and Starbucks. Well, Edward got Starbucks. I have no caffeine tolerance.

The plane ride was pretty peaceful. Whatever disagreements or anger we had on the way to the airport completely disappeared when we were in the air. I laid my head on his shoulder and we talked more about the trip.

He told me about visiting his father. I thought that it was really brave of him to face his dad after all these years. Edward said that he had to finally end it, the connection. He felt like even after all these years, his father still held a piece of him.

Edward said that he had some trust fund stuff that he had to do the next day. I swallowed this information without a response. He said that he wanted me to go to the spa, because he would be out all day. And I couldn't even refuse, because he had already booked the appointment and paid, so if I didn't go I was wasting his money.

I just let it all roll away. I had to. I determined that the only thing that mattered was being with him. Everything else I would just put out of my mind.

We landed and Edward navigated through Midway Airport like a pro. He never let go of my hand, even when he got our bags. My muscular boyfriend did it all one-handed. I would have to remember to ask him where he got those muscles. Most piano players that I knew—to be fair, I knew very few—weren't known for their biceps.

A car was there to pick us up. Darn Edward's money. It took us to this massive hotel. It looked ritzy and I was afraid that the inside would be even worse. I was right. Then, I saw our room.

The room was beautiful. I couldn't deny that. I stood in awe as the valet put my bags in one of the rooms. Then, he walked across the living room, past the burgundy couch and caramel-colored chair, and put Edward's bags in another room. As the valet headed for the door, I turned away, not wanting to see Edward tip the guy.

I started to explore the suite. I took a staircase up to what was, apparently, the second floor of our suite. There was a large dining area that would seat eight. And there were several couches and chairs that were angled toward a plasma screen TV. This place was most definitely overkill for two people.

Edward came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and putting his chin on my shoulder. He sighed. I leaned my head against his.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"I'm thinking about how big this place is. I might get lost." He laughed.

"Come on, you didn't get to see all of downstairs."

Edward dragged me down the stairs. I couldn't believe there was more. As if this place wasn't large enough.

He took me into what would be my bedroom for the week. There was a king sized bed. I frowned. I was a small person. That bed was going to be awfully cold at night.

I also had my own full bathroom connected to my bedroom. I had a huge vanity. And there was another plasma screen TV in my room. It was all too much.

I threw myself on my bed. It was so soft. I almost fell asleep the moment I hit the bed. Edward laid down beside me, his feet still on the ground.

"Have you looked out the windows yet?" he asked.

"No. Why?" I asked warily. He smiled.

"We have a good view of the lake, that's all."

"I wish that was all," I said quietly. This place was expensive and we were staying here a week. I didn't even want to wrap my mind around what it was going to cost to stay here.

Edward sat up. I had done it again. His face was hard. I had managed to make him mad. He turned to look at me.

"Bella," he said my name in annoyance. "We have to talk about this whole money thing."

"I agree. Let's talk about it," I replied.

"I have one question for you. And I want you to really think about it, because it is very important to the future of our relationship. Is the fact that I have money going to be a problem for you? Is that really more important to you than I am?"

"That was more than one question," I replied. I was being a smart ass.

"Damn it, Bella," he said in a hushed voice. "I'm being completely serious."

I stayed quiet for a minute really considering the question. I hated the way that he threw money around like it was nothing, but I definitely didn't hate him. And I could kind of understand why he did it. It was for me. Everything that he spent money on was ultimately for me, as much as I thought that it was wasteful.

"I love you," I said. "That's all that matters." Edward leaned over me on the bed and kissed me.

"Good, because I am about to get a lot more and I don't want it to be an issue."

"What do you mean?" I asked, sitting up on the bed.

"My mom set up a trust fund for each of us kids when we were born. Not to mention the stuff that I'm getting from my mom's mom who recently died and my great-great grandpa. Then, there is my mother's inheritance, which is completely separate from my trust fund." I let out a deep breath, trying my best to remain calm.

"How much is your trust fund stuff all together?"

"About a million," he replied nonchalantly. I was trying not to suffocate. "But that is all pocket change compared to my mother's inheritance."

"And how much is that?" I managed to ask through clenched teeth. Edward laughed.

"Take a deep breath," he said.

"Oh my gosh. How bad is it?"

"It's actually not money. It's a Cezanne, a painting. Alice gets a Matisse. Emmett got a Monet. They are on loan at The Art Institute, but I'm going to sell mine."

I covered my face with my hands. "You haven't told me for how much. It has to be bad if you won't tell me."

"A Cezanne can go for about eighty million, maybe more."

I started choking. Air refused to enter or exit my lungs in a normal manner. My breath was in spasms. I began to feel light-headed.

Edward took my face in his hands. His usually perfect green eyes were flawed with worry for me. I didn't want to worry him, so I tried my hardest to calm down. It took about five minutes, but finally I was breathing normally.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I feel like such a gold-digger," I replied. Edward started laughing hysterically. He looked so cute when he was laughing. I couldn't stop a smile from forming.

"You loved me before you knew I had money. It was my wit and charm that lured you in," he said with confidence.

"It was actually your smile and taste in music, but whatever."

* * *

Review and tell me what you think.


	6. Your Dad's Gonna Kill Me

A/N: The title for this chapter comes from the song "Good Girl, Bad Boy" by Junior Senior.

Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephanie Meyer.

Your Dad's Gonna Kill Me

EPOV

"Honey, I'm home," I called out as soon as I entered the suite.

Letting out a long sigh, I loosened my black tie. It had been a long and boring day. If I had to look at one more lawyer or potential buyer, I was going to hurl.

Bella came down the staircase. She was wearing a white, fluffy robe. A radiant smile decorated her face. She was breath-taking.

I looked at Bella's eyes and noticed that they were slightly widened. I raised my eyebrow, curiously. She bit her bottom lip and looked at the ground. The blush forming on her face confused me even further.

"What's wrong?" I asked. She laughed lightly in embarrassment. "Come on, Bella. Tell me," I pleaded.

"You just…You look really hot in your suit." Bella bit her lip again and lowered her gaze. I couldn't help but laugh.

Gently, I raised my hand and put it on her face. Lifting her chin, I had better access to her lips. I brought mine so that they were hovering above hers, barely touching.

"And you look positively appetizing in that robe." I kissed her softly.

One of Bella's hands grabbed the end of my tie and pulled it, forcing me closer. I obliged. Anything for my girl.

Suddenly, she pulled away.

"How was your day, Honey? Do I need to get you a scotch? Or maybe just vacuuming in high heels and pearls would do it for you?" she asked.

I took her hand and led her to the burgundy couch that was part of the living area, separating mine and Bella's bedrooms. She curled up next to me. And, for the first time in a long time, I felt completely at peace. There wasn't any back story. There were no issues. The place held nothing, but Bella and I in that moment.

I didn't answer her for a minute, just enjoying the calm. She didn't prod me. She was content to wait for my answer.

"My day was long and boring. I'm sure yours was much more interesting. Tell me about the spa?" Bella smiled.

"I could get used to be a gold-digger," she said.

"Will you stop calling yourself that," I said.

"Fine. But can I call you sugar daddy?" she asked with a laugh. I laughed too.

"Would you? Please?"

"Absolutely not," she said, smiling. I was beyond thrilled that she wasn't still freaking out about money. I was sure that she would again sometime in the future.

"You never answered my question about the spa?" I reminded her.

"Oh," she laughed. "I was there for like four hours. I just got back a few minutes before you. It was so relaxing. I got a massage for almost two hours. I've never felt so relaxed." She laughed again. "I didn't want to change out of the robe. I didn't know what we would be doing tonight."

"Would I be an awful tour guide if I said that all I really want to do is spend the evening in the room with you?" I asked. It kind of felt like it was us against the world.

"No. I was actually hoping you would say that."

"We can order room service and watch movies. And then tomorrow I don't have any meetings. I can take you sightseeing like one of those awful tourists. I might even get you a fanny pack," I joked.

"Please, Edward. Could you?"

"Absolutely not," I said, repeating her earlier phrase. "But I will take you to The Art Institute so that you can see my painting before it's not my painting anymore. And I talked to my grandfather today and he wants to have lunch, so we can do that tomorrow. Is that alright with you?"

"Your grandfather?" she asked warily. I pulled her closer.

"My mom's father. We've grown closer since my mom's death. I learned to play on his grand piano." I loved him and my grandmother, but ever since she died, he had been lonely.

"So, he's important to you?" she asked.

"Yeah, my grandfather is very important to me." Bella smiled.

"I would love to meet him."

Bella and I ordered room service and took it up to the entertainment area upstairs. I ate my hamburger and fries, while Bella picked out the movie. She chose Baz Luhrmann's version of Romeo and Juliet. It was the eighth time she had made me watch it. I failed to see its appeal.

Romeo was a fickle idiot. He was hot headed and didn't deserve Juliet. But Bella loved it. I started whispering Romeo's lines in her ear. She turned to look at me, her eyes aflame.

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?  
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.  
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,  
Who is already sick and pale with grief."

Bella kissed me softly.

"Please don't do this to me," she begged. I didn't understand what she meant. What was I doing to her? And why didn't she want it.

"What?" I asked in a whisper. She closed her eyes. "Bella?"

She jumped off the couch and out of my arms. She put over ten feet of distance between us before turning around to face me. Bella looked torn, as if choosing between two deaths.

"Tell me what I did so I can make it better," I pleaded. She groaned.

"If you make it any better, Edward, I'm going to jump you." I paused for a moment trying to understand her words.

"Oh," I said, slightly embarrassed. Of course, I wanted her. I ached for her, but I had never really considered that she could want me in the same way.

Bella's cheeks were glowing from the light streaming in through the windows. The sunset behind her couldn't even begin to compare to her beauty. I took a deep breath.

"We don't really talk about this sort of stuff, do we?" I said more as a statement than a question.

"No," she answered simply.

"Do you think that it would help?" I asked. She shrugged.

"It will either make it better or exponentially worse." I laughed once.

"Aren't you just a ray of optimism?" She smiled slightly. I took another deep breath. "I don't even know where to start…talking about it, I mean," I said nervously.

"Yeah, me neither." I felt like screaming. We were getting nowhere. Maybe we should just give up. We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes.

"It shouldn't be this hard to talk about sex," I complained. Bella started laughing. It calmed me down a little.

"I know. We are making talking about sex this huge mountain. Okay, I'm a virgin. You're a virgin. That's the basic information, right?" I laughed and nodded.

"Yeah. So, basically, neither of us have any clue what we are doing."

"Wait," Bella said, her cheeks turning red again. "Are we going to be doing anything?"

My breath stopped for a few seconds, while I tried to force air in and out of my lungs. Embarrassingly, I started coughing. I was such a loser.

"I'll take that as a no," Bella whispered. She sounded disappointed.

"Bella," I said. She turned around so that she was looking out the window.

I sighed, thinking of all the ways I had screwed up. And trying to think of any way to make it better. Bella whirled around to face me.

"Are you even attracted to me in that way?" She asked her hands on her hips. She was still wearing the white robe. It was tantalizing.

I got up off the couch and walked slowly towards her. Bella froze. Her brown eyes were roaming all over my body and, though I should probably feel embarrassed, I wasn't. If it had been any other girl than Bella…

I kissed her forehead. In a whisper I answered her question. "You are absolutely enticing Tormenting. Alluring. Tempting. Provoking. Enthralling. And titillating. You have no idea what you do to me. And to answer your question," I paused, taking the time to allow my eyes to study her body the way that hers had done mine. "Yes. I am very much attracted to you in that way."

Bella's lips were suddenly on mine, forcefully and fiercely. She was a predator. And I was her prey.

Her hands were in my hair, holding tightly on to me. It was as if I was her prisoner. I had never seen Bella so dominant before.

Her lips left mine and started trailing down my neck. The feel of her warm breath on my skin, sent a shiver of pleasure through me. I took a deep breath to try and steady myself. This couldn't happen right now, my mind argued. My body was telling me something different.

"Oh, your dad is going to kill me," I whispered. She pulled away from me.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded an answer.

"It was part of the agreement to let you come with me…" I trailed off, regretting the agreement.

"Tell me," Bella said, still the little dominatrix

"If you don't come back to Washington a virgin, then your father will castrate me." Bella groaned.

"I swear, I'm going to give that man a piece of my mind." She looked so hot when she was angry. I tried to reach for her again. She slapped my hands away.

"I'm not just getting you for a week. So, hands off. We have to keep all your parts intact."

* * *

Tell me what you think. It makes my day.


	7. Gazing At The Ceiling

A/N: This chapter is shorter than last chapter, but not by too much. It is also the last one of Edward and Bella in Chicago.

The title of this chapter comes from"Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me For Me)" by Blessid Union Of Souls.

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

Gazing at the Ceiling

BPOV

One more day, I thought as I woke up. It was Friday morning. This was my last full day in Chicago. Our flight back to Forks, and the real world, left early Saturday morning.

Edward would be gone until around three. He was finalizing the sale of his painting, making him a very wealthy man and me the girlfriend of a very wealthy man. Then, he was going to visit his father. I offered to go with him, but he said that it was something he needed to do alone.

I climbed out of my large, insanely comfortable bed and went to the bathroom to properly wake myself up. The warm water from the shower was relaxing and comforting. I washed my hair with my favorite strawberry-scented shampoo and climbed out. I put on the white robe that I had grown to love.

I left my bedroom and went into the living room area. There was a note on one of the end tables. Smiling, I picked it up.

It read, "Bella, my love, I hate being apart from you. And I feel like a terrible host. Tonight I will make it up to you. Have fun today. I left my bank card and I want you to go spend my money. Buy yourself that robe that you love so much. They have them at the store downstairs. If you don't buy it, then I will buy it plus five other things. I'm not bluffing. This is a really long note. I got distracted. All I really wanted to say was I love you. –Edward."

I picked up his debit card and frowned. It was really hard getting used to the idea that money wasn't an issue with Edward. I could spend like crazy and it wouldn't be an issue with him. Coming from a family that never had much money, it was hard to wrap my mind around that fact.

Slowly, I got dressed and went downstairs to the lobby. I found the W store easily enough. The store was packed with other hotel guests, most of whom played the part of annoying tourist. I tried to stay quiet and look inconspicuous, but apparently that didn't work. An overly-friendly employee came up to me, smiling wide.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked. I was tempted to say no, but I figured that it would be best to just get in and out.

"Actually, yes. I'm looking for one of those spa robes," I said. The lady smiled even wider.

"We have two kinds." She led me to them. One was tan and felt really soft. I pointed to the white one. "Great choice. Is that all you need or are you still looking?"

"That's it," I said.

"Fabulous," the lady said. I followed her to the front where the cash register was. She rung up the robe. I had to tightly clench my jaw to keep it from falling open. It was over 130…for a robe. I was freaking out and was mad, because I knew that the price didn't matter to Edward one bit.

I simply swiped his debit card and put in his pin number. The boy had told me numerous times that he had changed the pin to my birthday. He always gave it to me to spend his money, but this was the first time that I actually did.

I sighed as the woman handed me the bag and the receipt. "Thank you," I said.

"Thank you. Have a nice day."

I grumbled to myself as I took the elevator back up to the thirtieth floor. A family of four that got off on the twelfth floor kept eyeing me like I was going to eat their children. I couldn't bring myself to care.

I knew that if I wanted to be with Edward—which I wanted more than anything in the world—that I had to get over my issues with his money. I threw myself onto Edward's bed when I got back into the room. Already, I missed him.

I closed my eyes and thought about him. His face—his sparkling eyes and crooked smile. His arms—which appeared lanky, but were, in fact, very toned. All the thoughts of him must have exhausted me.

I felt an arm around my torso and it felt so right. We hadn't been like this since my birthday. I had fallen asleep in his arms then. This time, however, was a little different. He had purposely put himself next to me while I was asleep.

I turned my body to face him. His green eyes were glowing exactly as I had pictured them before I fell asleep. He smiled.

"Good afternoon, Beautiful. Have a good nap?"

"I can't believe that I fell asleep. What time is it?" I tried to sit up, but he wouldn't allow that. My body stayed firmly attached to the bed.

"It is just after three. I just got back. Imagine my surprise when there was a beautiful girl asleep in my bed. I felt like the luckiest guy alive." I kissed him softly.

"How did everything go?" I asked.

"I sold the painting. I won't tell you for how much, because I don't want you to faint on me, or worse, get mad at me." I frowned.

"I'm trying my hardest to do better. You can tell me. I'll be good I promise." He could see that I was really trying.

"Deep breath," he commanded. I obeyed readily. "Ninety-three million," he said.

I kept taking deep breaths and focusing on his eyes. They were green. They were beautiful. They belonged to a guy who had more money than I ever dreamed of. All in all, I was proud of my response. Apparently, so was he.

Edward kissed my cheek. "You are taking the news surprisingly well."

"I'm trying," I whispered. "How was the rest of your day?" He frowned, knowing that I was referring to visiting his father in prison.

"It's over. Yeah." That's all that he said about it. I couldn't even begin to imagine what he went through what he was going through, so I didn't know what the appropriate response was. I pushed myself closer to him.

He tightened his grip on me. Then, his lips kissed the top of my head. We laid there for a few minutes in silence.

Then, we got up. Edward had made reservations for an early dinner at some fancy restaurant. I knew better than to complain by now. I just smiled and went to put on the blue dress that he insisted that I buy from this little boutique.

Edward had a shiny, silver car waiting for us outside of the hotel at six. It took us to the restaurant. It was called Alinea.

The restaurant was dimly lit, but I still marveled at its beauty. The tables were dark mahogany and the chairs were the color of cream. From where we sat, we could see into the kitchen, which was supposed to be one of the appeals of the restaurant. At least, that's what Edward told me.

I closed my eyes and picked the first thing that I saw on the menu, hoping that it wouldn't be too expensive. Lucky for me, everything on the menu was expensive. Ultimately, I picked lamb. Edward had lobster. It was delicious.

By the time we got in the car to head back to the hotel, I was exhausted. It didn't seem possible considering that I had slept in and had a nap, but I was. I was practically dead on my feet.

Edward held firmly onto me, keeping me upright. He was supporting all of my weight. As soon as we entered the suite, Edward scooped me up, removing my feet from the ground.

I forced my eyes to stay open. A look of confusion flittered across his face. What could have him so confused?

"Bella," he whispered. I moaned, barely awake. "Will you sleep with me tonight? I don't mean sex, I mean… I just want you in my arms."

"That sounds perfect," I whispered. He laughed softly before carrying me into his room.

* * *

Not much happens, but I think it is good development for their relationship. Tell me your opinions.


	8. Small Town Homecoming Queen

A/N: The title comes from "Girl Next Door" by Saving Jane.

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to the wondefully talented Stephanie Meyer.

Small Town Homecoming Queen

RPOV

I studied the photo that I held in my hands. It was from another time, a different life. And, as much as I wished that I could, I would never again be that girl.

She was smiling, radiant even, as her boyfriend handed her the bouquet of roses. The crown was already atop her head. Her dress was black, shiny, and perfect. She was the homecoming queen. She was gone.

I dropped the photo onto the kitchen table. Emmett and Jasper were out bonding or something. And I didn't want to be alone at my house.

Esme came into the kitchen. Even with her hair pulled back, yellow rubber gloves on her hands, and an apron on, she was still beautiful. She smiled slightly when she saw me.

I looked like a mess. I was still having trouble sleeping. And morning sickness had finally arrived. Emmett and I barely talked anymore. I couldn't find any source of motivation to look even relatively decent.

Esme, more of a mother to me than my own, pulled off her yellow gloves and put them in the kitchen sink. Then, she sat down at the table across from me. I tried to smile at her, but I feared that my face couldn't form a smile anymore. She picked up the fallen picture and looked at it.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"For what?" she asked curiously.

"For getting pregnant. For taking that boy away," I whispered. Esme smacked my hand that was on the table. "Ow. What was that for?"

"Rosalie, you have to stop this. This pouting and 'my-life-is-over' crap. You are having a baby. You don't have a terminal illness. Is it bad timing? Yes. Are you too young? In my opinion, yes. But that does not mean that your life is over."

I didn't know how to respond. No one had ever said it to me in that way. And I could kind of understand that I was being a bit dramatic, but that is how it felt.

She wasn't through talking.

"I had three elementary age children by the time I was twenty. And I had way less support than you do. Emmett will be there for you. Carlisle and I will be there for you. Jasper. Alice. Bella. Edward. We will all be there to help you raise this baby."

"But what if I suck at being a mom," I said, the panic and fears that I had been hiding finally bursting to the surface. "What if Emmett decides that he doesn't love me or the baby anymore? I just graduated high school. I don't have any skills. I don't know what I want to do with my life. I thought that I had four more years to figure that out, but I was wrong. I have no time. I'm so scared."

Esme reached across the table and grabbed my hands, holding onto them tightly. She looked me straight in the eyes. It made tears form in my eyes.

"Honey, have you talked to Emmett about any of this?" I shook my head. "And why not?"

"We haven't really talked since I told him about the baby. When we are together…it is just silent. All he does is hold my hand. He won't even kiss me anymore. I don't think he loves me anymore. And how could he? In a couple of months I'm going to be huge and ugly and he's going to find someone else."

The tears were flowing freely down my face now, taking with it the little bit of makeup that I had on. My throat was raw and aching. Everything was so wrong.

I didn't even hear the front door open, but I did hear the laughter. Emmett and Jasper. They were back. And I just cried harder.

"God, Esme, what did you do to her?" I heard Emmett ask, his voice harsh. Then, it sounded like someone being slapped. I looked up and Emmett was rubbing his cheek.

"One, I don't care how old you are or how many girls you get pregnant, you do not talk to me like that," Esme said, her voice deadly scary. "Two, this is because you won't talk to her like you used to. So talk."

Esme squeezed my hand once more, and then she grabbed Jasper by the arm and pulled him out of the room. Emmett sat down in Esme's chair. Quickly, I wiped the tears from my eyes. I didn't want him to see me like that.

"What's wrong, Baby?" he asked. I swallowed and tried to make eye contact with me.

"Do you still love me like you did when I wasn't pregnant?"

"I still love you. Maybe it is a little bit different now, but it is not less. You are the mother of my baby. You are the love of my life. I adore you." I started to cry again, but I quickly removed any sign of the tears.

"I thought that you didn't love me anymore," I whispered. "You won't kiss me. You don't look at me like you did."

He sighed. "I'm sorry that I made you doubt me." He laughed once. "I thought that you didn't want me to kiss you. I was trying to be helpful. I just made a mess. I'm so stupid," he muttered.

"No," I said, reaching out to grab one of his hands that rested idly on the table. "You're not stupid and you know how much I hate it when you say that you are. We should just both admit that we have no idea what we are doing and start working together."

Emmett lifted our hands and kissed mine softly. He smiled a little. Then, he laughed.

"We make a really good team."

I nodded. "We do," I said in agreement.

"We are going to be the best parents that this little guy…or girl could ever dream of having."

I smiled at him and he smiled back. There was still so much left to do and say. There was so much that had to be done before I had the baby.

I frowned. "Where are we going to live, Emmett? And what about jobs? A nanny? Daycare? We need to start a college fund. This baby is going to college. I'm going to make sure of that."

"Baby, baby, baby," Emmett said quickly. "Let's take it one thing at a time. A place to live."

I nodded. "Okay, where are we going to live?"

"Do you want to get an apartment together in Forks? Or a house? Or we could move to Seattle. That way you could still take college classes. I could stay at home with the baby, while you did classes. And you could stay with her when I went to work. We can work this out."

"I want to stay in Forks," I said. He nodded.

"Okay…why?"

"Because, your parents are here and they will be a big help. Esme promised that she could help us." He frowned.

"What about college? You got a huge scholarship. You can't just give that up," he argued.

"Yes, I can. I'll take classes at a junior college. By the time I graduate, maybe we'll be stable enough to move to Seattle. We aren't ready right now."

"Okay. I'll start looking for a house," he said. I smiled at him.

Emmett stood up. He walked around the table and pulled me to my feet. I looked up at him.

"I love you so much. Please don't ever doubt that," Emmett said.

"I love you," I said back.

Softly, carefully, he brought his lips to mine. And he kissed me.

* * *

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this chapter.


	9. Set Me Free

A/N: It's short, but something very important happens. Chapter title comes from "Back Here" by BBMak.

Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephanie Meyer.

Set Me Free

JPOV

Anger and sympathy, annoyance and love ran through me as I pinched the bridge of my nose. One more store, one more fight and I was going to blow my brains out. I couldn't deal with this anymore.

We had spent weeks planning out this huge, elaborate, fairytale wedding. And we fought over everything. She wanted to get married over Christmas Break. I wanted to wait at least until she graduated high school. She wanted a thousand people. I would be fine if there were ten.

She wanted to fly in some kind of African flower that couldn't grow in the US. I insisted that it was a waste of expenses. To that, she kissed my forehead and ordered the flowers.

I loved Alice, but I doubted that both of us would make it through the wedding alive.

"What do you think?" my lovely bride asked as she held out two napkins. Seriously, we were picking out napkins. I could care less. "This one, I like the gold band around the edge, but gold doesn't really go with our color scheme." I thought briefly about "our" color scheme. She had picked it out. She had ordered everything in those awful colors. And then, she expected me to just smile and claim it as ours.

"But this one," Alice said, holding the other napkin in front of my face, "I like the pattern on it. It's so elegant, exactly like our wedding is going to be. I think this on is perfect," she said.

So much for asking for my opinion. I didn't even know why I was here. She didn't respect or care about my opinion.

I stood up from the little table we sat at in this huge napkin warehouse. Apparently, we had to go straight to the manufacturer. We couldn't just buy any old napkins.

Anger and annoyance overwhelmed me. I shook my head. Worry flittered over Alice's eyes. Quickly, she stood up.

"No, don't do this," she said before I had a chance to say anything.

"Alice, I can't keep doing things like this," I told her. "It's not working."

"What are you saying?" Panic was evident in her voice. I shook my head.

"I don't know," I responded truthfully. She took my hand.

"Please," she pleaded. "Everything will be better after the wedding."

"We're not going to make it to the wedding at this rate. Alice, our marriage should be more important to you than our wedding. And, if it's not, then I…" I took a deep breath. "It seems like we are at different places right now."

My eyes glanced, briefly, at his face. Tears were in her eyes. I hated to see her cry.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"So am I," she said angrily.

In a fit, she threw the napkins at me, but they didn't even come close to me. She took off running, tears falling down her cheeks. I choked back the bile in my throat.

I couldn't believe that I had made her cry. And I couldn't believe that I had called off our engagement. I was an idiot.


	10. Candy Lips That Taste Too Sweet

A/N: The title of this chapter comes from the song "Crawling Towards the Sun" by The Hush Sound.

Disclaimer: Twilight and all its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.

Candy Lips That Taste Too Sweet

EPOV

We were alone. Carlisle and Esme were out for the day helping Rosalie and Emmett look for a house in Forks. There really weren't that many options. I figured that Emmett would cave and pay for a house to be built in time for the baby's birth.

But, anyway, we were alone. On the couch. Kissing. Her lips, sweeter than candy, were on mine. And, then, they were on my neck.

I felt her fingers slip underneath my plain, white buttoned shirt. Like fire, like ice, she traced my ab muscles. Then her delicate fingers ran down my ribs. I writhed under her soft touch.

Carefully, I pulled her tantalizing hands from under my shirt. The pout on her face framed her displeasure. All I could do was smile at her.

I leaned up and started to unbutton my shirt. The second she realized my plan, her hands joined into help. She started at the bottom of my shirt. Our hands met on the middle button. I moved mine away and lay back down.

Bella pulled open my shirt, her eyes growing dark as she looked at my chest. If I had ever felt like her prey before, it was nothing compared to this moment. She looked hungry.

My agreement with Charlie was over. I had brought his daughter back to Forks with her virginity intact, much to her annoyance. As proof of both her annoyance and my commitment to our agreement, were Bella's first words to Charlie when we returned from Chicago.

I had opened her car door. Charlie stood on the porch. While I went to the trunk to unload her bag, she marched toward her father. She said, "Hey, guess what, Dad? I'm still a virgin." Then, she walked straight inside without another word. I handed her bag to Charlie without making eye contact.

Ever since then, Bella had become more fierce. It almost seemed like she was trying to seduce me. But she really didn't need to try so hard. One kiss from her was more than enough.

Bella's lips found mine again. She parted her lips and I slipped my tongue into her mouth. I felt her smile.

Bella was on my lap, straddling me. Her long, dark hair made a canopy around our faces every time she leaned in to kiss me. She looked so beautiful. She was perfect, my angel. I realized that I could never be without her.

I leaned up, so that I was sitting up. For support, I put my arms behind me. It was a good thing I did, because Bella leaned against me and I was tempted to fall back down.

"I love you," I whispered. Her eyes were bright.

"I love you too."

That was all I was planning to say. That was it. But…more words came out.

"Marry me," I said.

Bella pulled away from me. Panic and confusion crossed her beautiful features. She frowned.

It looked like she was trying to speak, but words weren't audible.

"Be serious, Edward." That stung a little.

"I am being entirely serious," I said, closing my eyes for half a second.

"Marriage? This is a joke."

"I'm asking you to marry me and you think it is a joke. Seriously, Bella, you are wounding my ego."

Bella quickly removed herself from me. She got up and started pacing around the living room. I had scared her and I didn't know if there was any repairing the situation.

"What are you thinking, Edward? I'm only seventeen. And if you haven't noticed, everything is all fucked up. And you want to add to that. Rosalie is nineteen and she's pregnant. Emmett, your brother, is going to be a father. Alice and Jasper called off their engagement. They haven't spoken to each other in a week. Things aren't exactly sunny in Forks right now."

"We aren't them," I said. We weren't Emmett and Rosalie. We weren't Jasper and Alice.

"I know that, but…" she trailed off, still angry.

"But?" I questioned.

"Marriage," she spat the word like it was the worst of cuss words, and I had heard her say plenty, but none with the passion of this one.

"Do you not want to marry me? Because I believe that marriage is the ultimate goal of any relationship and if you don't want to marry me, then perhaps we shouldn't be in a relationship." Bella scowled at me. She opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by the sound of the door bell.

I groaned, walking across the living room to answer the door. I didn't bother putting my shirt back on.

"Edward," three high pitched voices screamed my name at the same time as soon as I opened the door.

"What are you all doing here?" I asked in shock.

They ran in and hugged me. Then, they each kissed my cheek. I glanced over at Bella. She had her hands on her hips and looked ready for a triple homicide.

All three girls spoke at once. It was random and chaotic. But, somehow, I managed to pull out that they were staying for a week. Carlisle had planned it all and we were having a barbecue tonight to celebrate their visit.

Bella cleared her throat as soon as the shrieks died down. The three girls turned to look at her. And then they looked back at me and noticed for the first time my state of undress.

"I think that I'm going to be going," she said, murder still written on her face.

"Wait," the girls replied at nearly the same time.

"I'm sorry that we interrupted your and Edward's fun, but, please, stay. We would love to meet you," Kate said with a smile. Bella frowned, which was an improvement from the scowl.

"I'm Bella. And don't worry about the interruption. We were actually in the middle of a fight," she said, eyeing me like I was evil.

"I'm Kate. And these are my sisters Irina and Tanya. We're Carlisle's cousins."

Bella looked at each of the girls. She managed to smile at Kate—a good sign. She only frowned at Irina—still decent. But Bella glared at Tanya. Tanya was the one who still had her arm around my waist.

"It was nice to meet you all, but I really must be going," Bella, again, tried to make her escape.

"But…but," Kate whined. Bella turned to look at her. "Will you at least come to the barbecue tonight?"

Bella looked like she wanted to say no. But Kate's pouting cracked her. She sighed.

"Sure. What time is it?" she asked. I breathed a sigh. That meant that I had a chance to still fix my mistake.

"Seven," Kate said with a smile. "Oh, Bella, we are going to be such good friends. I can feel it." She shrieked and ran across the room to give Bella a hug. She looked stunned for a minute, but finally smiled.

Kate finally released Bella. And she left without another word or glance at me. I sighed and went back to the couch. I sat down and started buttoning up my shirt.

Irina plopped down beside me. Kate sat next to her. Tanya sat on the armrest next to me. They were all looking at me curiously.

"What?" I asked.

"She's pretty," Irina said.

"I've noticed." They giggled.

"So, how long have you all been dating?" Tanya asked.

"Almost a year…just shy of eleven months," I replied.

Kate whistled. "Wow. You must really like her."

"I love her. And I want to marry her, but she doesn't want to marry me. That's what the fight was about."

Irina hit me in the arm.

"What was that for?" I demanded.

"You haven't even been dating a year and you just turned eighteen. It is much too early to be thinking about marriage," she said.

"I can't live without her. I want her. I need her."

"And that's all well and good," Kate said, "but marriage? Edward, I thought we taught you better than that."

"When exactly did you teach me crap?" I asked.

"All those summers in Alaska," Tanya said. "Ring any bells?"

I hated the triplets. They triple-teamed me. And they all seemed to be a united front. How was I supposed to compete with that?

I scowled. "Welcome to Forks. I'll take your bags up to your rooms if you all will just leave me alone for an hour."

Irina kissed my cheek.

"We love you Edward."

* * *

I'm waiting for someone to be like "What the hell are you doing? You are ruining everything." If you want to be that person...review.


	11. I'm Standing Down

A/N: The chapter title comes from "Stop & Stare" by One Republic.

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

I'm Standing Down

BPOV

I was torqued, or ticked, or pissed. I was freaking angry. But I wasn't really sure what I was so mad at.

Yes, he had asked me to marry him while we were in the middle of making out. It was definitely not the most romantic method. But I could get past that.

And, yes, I was only seventeen. I really loved Edward and I was sure that I would marry him…eventually. I could understand his enthusiasm.

Was it the three gorgeous girls who were all over my boyfriend that made me so mad? Or was it that one little blonde witch? I bet that I could take her in a fight.

Yes, she was definitely why I was mad. Edward hadn't even tried to push her away. And he hadn't introduced me as his girlfriend. If he wanted to marry me, then he was going to have to have a little more backbone than that.

Irina seemed fine. And Kate reminded me of how Alice used to be. You know, before she got moody because Jasper called off the wedding.

But Tanya…she was going to have to die.

At least, that's what I determined on the drive home from Edward's house. I pulled my truck into driveway. I saw that another car was parked at my house.

I jumped out of the cab, excited. He was standing on the porch. I ran and fell into Jacob's arms. He picked me up and spun me around.

"Jake," I exclaimed. He sat me back on solid ground.

"Hey, Bells. You seem a little happy to see me." He smiled wide.

"My gosh. You look like you've grown six inches since I saw you last," I said.

"I have. And I had my birthday." I groaned.

"Don't tell me that I missed your sixteenth? I feel like such a bad friend." He laughed at me.

"You are. I waited around by the phone, but no call from my childhood friend that I once rescued from a swarm of angry butterflies." It was my turn to laugh.

When I was seven, Jake and I were out at La Push and I fell down in the grass. A bunch of butterflies took to the air and I started freaking out, screaming and thrashing. I didn't like butterflies. Jake ran to me and helped me to my feet. He held my hand until we were safely away.

"Oh, don't do this. I feel bad enough." A brilliant idea popped into my head. "But I can make it up to you."

He looked at me with suspicion. I supposed that he was entitled to that. I was about to use him.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm…going to this barbecue thing tonight at Edward's house and there are three very gorgeous girls from out of town who are going to be there." Jake smirked at me.

"You just want me to keep them away from your boyfriend," he accused. Caught.

"Please, Jake. I'll be your best friend," I pleaded, even getting down on my knees.

"Gorgeous, you say?" I smiled.

"Is that a yes?" I stood back up.

"Sure, sure. Now, are these girls gorgeous or not?" I laughed and grabbed his arm. We went inside. Charlie and Billy were watching a game, baseball I think it was.

"They are all gorgeous. And I'm pretty sure that they are triplets." He raised his eyebrows. "I know that the creepy male fantasy involves twins, but I figured that one more couldn't hurt. Anything for my Jake."

"You are so my best friend," he said. I laughed.

I got dressed right before seven. I could stand to be a little late. It was probably going to be torturous even with Jacob there to distract the girls.

Even Jacob complained about my truck, so I allowed him to drive me in his car. Neither Charlie nor Billy seemed even in the slightest bit interested that we were leaving. I think the game was going into extra-innings or something like that.

Esme answered the front door, her constant smile on her face. I introduced her to Jake. She took to him right away, putting her arm around him and laughing with him.

I saw Edward out of the corner of my eye. Practically sprinting across the room, I found Alice. She was frowning and wearing dark colors. I gave her a hug.

"How are you doing?" I asked.

"Awful, Bella. I am doing awful." She folded her arms across her chest and stuck out her bottom lip.

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"No," she responded. "He keeps calling, but I won't answer." My jaw fell open.

"Why the hell not?" Alice took a step back, obviously not pleased by my reaction. "If you love someone, you can't just keep avoiding them. You have to deal with the problem."

"Fine, Bella, don't have a cow," she said, walking away. Alice pulled a small silver phone out of her pocket as she walked up the stairs.

"That's good advice," a female voice said. I turned around. It was the b—bad word person that I was going to have to murder. "Why are you avoiding the guy you love?"

I wanted to punch her. She didn't even know me and she was trying to give me relationship advice. Why? She only wanted Edward for herself.

"Go to hell," I said as I walked away. Lady-like, I know. And one of my shining moments.

I found Jacob chatting up Kate and Irina. Latching onto his arm, I leaned in close to him. He looked annoyed.

"This was a bad idea," I whispered. He shook his, smiling.

"I agree, Bella, this is fun," he said loud enough for them to hear. I cringed. After I got my emotions under control, I turned to Kate and smiled.

"Hey, guys. I see that you've met my good friend, Jake. He is…fantastic. I love him to death. I just hope that I've raised him right. There's only so much you can do," I joked. He frowned at me, but Kate and Irina laughed.

"We feel the same way about Edward. We spent all those years trying to teach him to be a gentleman, and then he goes and proposes to you like that. I could have smacked him."

Jacob turned to look at me. He was frowning. I sighed deeply.

"I said no," I told him.

"That's not the point, Bells. I barely know the guy and he is at the stage where he wants to marry you? That doesn't seem right."

"I'll arrange a play date," I said, slightly annoyed by the whole situation. I was, however, glad to know that neither Kate nor Irina was interested in Edward. Two down, one to go.

"I'll look at my schedule," Edward said behind me. What was with people just jumping into conversations? Didn't they know that it was still considered rude?

"Hi," I said, turning to look at him. Okay, I didn't really look at him. I was still mad at him. I looked at the floor.

"We need to talk," he said in a sigh. I nodded.

We went out on the front porch. I sat on the porch swing where Edward had first told me about his parents. It seemed like years ago, back when our relationship was new and fresh.

"I apologize for asking you to marry me in that fashion. And I realize that you may consider it to be a little soon, but I do love you. And I want to spend my life with you," he said animatedly.

I held my hand up. "That's nothing. I can get past your wanting to marry me entirely too soon. And, for the record, I want to marry you too. Just not right now."

His forehead wrinkled in obvious confusion. I sighed angrily. How could he not know what he did?

"Why are you avoiding me then? And why are you being mean to my friends?" I stood up.

"I'm not being mean to your friends," I replied.

"Tanya is one of my friends," he informed me.

"Really?" I asked. "Because she seems like more of your girlfriend. She had her arm around your waist. And she didn't let go even after it was clear that we were dating. And you didn't tell any of them that I was your girlfriend. You didn't even introduce me. God, Edward, are you ashamed of me?"

His eyes sparked incredulously. He started laughing, humorlessly.

"You are absurd. I'm not ashamed of you. And Tanya isn't my girlfriend. What about Jacob? Is he your other boyfriend?"

My jaw dropped. "Jake and I have been friends since we were little kids. And since when is it not okay that I have a guy friend? You have three girl friends. You are such a hypocrite, Edward Anthony."

"I'm not a hypocrite," he said, his eyes dark. "You are the one having a holy freak attack over one of my friends. But it's not okay for me to bring up one of your friends. This is getting old."

We stared at each other for a long minute. His hypnotic green eyes were shining with adrenaline. My heart was racing and my breathing was hard.

I know it sounds so movie, but I couldn't control myself.

I pushed Edward up against the side of the house. He was stunned for a minute. Then, my favorite crooked smile played across his lips.

I kissed it away.

Before I realized what was happening, Edward switched our positions. I was now the one pressed up against the side of the house. My hands were in his hair, pulling him closer to me.

His lips started kissing my neck. I giggled. It tickled.

"Edward," I whispered.

"Yes," he said, his lips still on my throat.

"Kiss me."

"I am," he said, humor in his voice.

"On the lips," I said in exasperation.

Just as his lips found mine again, a voice interrupted us.

"Ugh. So did not need to see that."

* * *

Who interrupted them? And is it even important to the story? Review and I'll write fast. That's a promise.


	12. I'll Try To Love Again

A/N: Chapter title comes from the song "The First Cut is the Deepest" by Rod Stewart. Sheryl Crow also redid it.

None of you wonderfully awesome people correctly guessed who interrupted them. Jacob or Tanya? You limit me too much. And it is actually pretty important to the story, at least in my opinion. I guess that I can let you be the judge of that.

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

I'll Try To Love Again

EPOV

"Kiss me," she said, her voice shaking.

"I am," I replied. I was pleased with her reaction to me.

"On the lips," she said in exasperation.

Just as my lips found hers again, a voice interrupted us.

"Ugh. So did not need to see that."

I turned around. Crossing my arms in annoyance, I groaned. Why was there always a freaking interruption?

Though, this interruption might be worth it. I looked at him in the eyes. I smiled.

"What was that, man? I can't believe you did that," I said. He smiled. A good sign.

I felt Bella peeking around me. She slid herself underneath my arm and put it around her shoulders. No objections came from my mouth.

"So, what are you doing here?" I asked. He ran a hand through his hair and nodded at someone else on the porch. I turned to look at her. Today was just a day full of surprises.

"She invited me," he said.

"Really?" I replied. Bella looked over at the girl and smiled. This was definitely a good development.

"Yeah, really," she said. "Bella told me that people in love should talk out their problems, but now I see what Bella really means is that people in love should make out and forget about their problems."

"Alice," I said in frustration. "Bella and I did talk."

"Yeah, for all of five seconds. And then she attacked you. But suddenly all your problems are fixed. Maybe if you slept with her she would have agreed to marry you," Alice said bitterly.

I looked at Bella. Her face was red. The glare that she had given Tanya today was nothing compared to the glare she was giving my sister.

Bella pulled herself away from me. She got in Alice's face. They glowered at each other.

"Why are you so opposed to seeing Edward and I happy?" Bella asked. "Is it because you're not happy? And if you aren't happy, then nobody should be?"

Alice stood up straight. "Why don't you just jump him already? I'm getting tired of your whining about how he hasn't had sex with you yet."

Oh. This was bad. Bella slapped Alice across the face. In response, Alice shoved Bella. But Bella had grabbed hold of her and they both fell off the porch. Jasper and I ran to them.

I pulled Bella off of Alice, legs and hair flying. Jasper clutched Alice tightly to his chest, her arms restrained by his. I started laughing. A few seconds later, so did Jasper.

"Can you believe that?" I asked him, still holding tightly to my girl.

"No. It was pretty awesome though." I looked at Alice. She was frowning, but it was the happiest I had see her in a week.

"I'm just going to go get Bella cleaned up. You two talk. I hope you can work it out." He nodded.

"Me too. See you later."

I pulled Bella off her feet, so that I was holding her in my arms, bridal style. Stealthily, trying to avoid other people, I took Bella to the back door or the house. I carried her up the staircase and up to the third floor.

When we reached the third floor bathroom, I set her down on the countertop. She still hadn't said a word to me. I turned her hands over to see if there were any cuts or scrapes. Nothing. The only thing was that they were a little red.

I held her face between my hands. There was a small scratch mark across her forehead. I ran my thumb across it . She winced at looked sullenly at me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Carefully, I cleaned the wound. Alice's fingernails were sure sharp. She had drawn a bit of blood.

"Are you going to talk at me?" I asked. She shook her head. "Why not?"

Her beautiful cheeks became pink. She was embarrassed. But I wasn't sure what about.

"You know that the fight is not a big deal. Alice is just cranky. They'll talk it out and she'll be regular Alice soon enough."

She didn't say anything. Maybe that wasn't it. I took a deep breath.

"Is this about sex?" I asked. She bit her bottom lip and looked at the ground. "I'll take that as a yes."

We sat in maddening silence while I waited for her to say anything. She wouldn't and I didn't want to leave the room until the issue was resolved. Finally, she cracked.

"If you don't sleep with me soon, I'm going to spontaneously combust. Every moment, all the time when I'm with you, I feel like I'm going to die. But you never…" She sighed in anger. Her eyes were making all sorts of accusations against me. I didn't love her. I wasn't attracted to her. I was cruel. I was evil. I was gay.

"Isabella Marie Swan," I whispered.

"Don't say my name like that unless you are going to..." I raised my eyebrow.

"Going to?"

"You tell me that you love me. You tell me that I am tantalizing and titillating. You even ask me to marry you. Those all point towards you wanting to sleep with me." She turned her dazzling brown eyes on me, staring into mine. "I want a straight answer. Why won't you sleep with me?"

That shocked me. I…I didn't realize that I had been avoiding sleeping with her. That wasn't my aim at all.

"I…I…Oh, god, I want to."

"Then, do it," she said fiercely.

"What if I'm awful?" I blurted out, my secret fear finally coming to the surface.

I looked at the bathroom tile, not wanting to see the amusement written all over Bella's face. She had to be laughing at me. I was so stupid. I didn't deserve an angel like that.

More softly than a feather, her right hand swept from my temple to my jaw. She attempted to raise my face. Reluctantly, I allowed it. No trace of humor was in her eyes, just love.

"Edward, love, you are absolutely absurd." I tried to look back down. She prevented that. "You silly boy, look at me."

I looked straight into her eyes. She was my Bella. And she deserved the very best. If I couldn't give her the best, then the least I could do was give her my best.

"I don't know if you've forgotten, but I'm a virgin," she said in a joking manner. "Even if you suck at sex, I have nothing to compare it to. You will still be a Greek god to me. And you're not going to be awful. Our first time is going to be phenomenal. You want to know why?" she asked with a smile.

"Why?"

"Because I am so in love with you and you are so in love with me. It's going to be amazing, even if it's awful."

I laughed. "That's not really reassuring, Bella." She rolled her eyes.

"Let's turn this around then," she said. I felt like it was a trap.

"What do you mean?" I asked warily. Bella smiled.

"What if I was the one who was all insecure? What if I was saying that I was going to be awful?"

"I would say that you were crazy and that I love you." I sighed. She smiled and wrinkled her nose at me.

"You are crazy, Edward, and I love you." She briefly kissed my lips.

"I love you too."

I put my hands on her hips and helped her jump down from the countertop. She grabbed a hold of my hand. I lifted our hands and kissed hers.

I hesitated for a second, but finally spoke. "How do you feel about a promise ring?"

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What exactly is a promise ring?"

"It's like a step before an engagement ring. I thought maybe it would go over better than an engagement ring, since, apparently, it is way too early to be getting married."

"Okay, but what is the promise?" I laughed once. She smiled at me.

"I promise that I'm going to ask you to marry me…someday. And you promise that you are going to say yes."

She tilted her head back and forth as if weighing the decision on an imaginary scale. "Sounds fair," she said. "But, you aren't allowed to spend more than one hundred dollars."

"You are kidding me? How am I supposed to find a decent ring for one hundred dollars? Five hundred," I bargained.

"Two hundred take it or leave it." I opened my mouth to answer, but she cut me off. "If you take the deal, I'll be nice to Tanya, even though I hate her and want her dead."

I looked at Bella. My jaw dropped. She giggled.

"Fine," I said. "It sounds like the best deal I'm going to get."

* * *

Thoughts? Opinions? Happiness? Maddness?


	13. You Won't Disarm My Heart

A/N: The chapter title comes from the song "Safe Unsafe" by The Hush Sound.

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

You Won't Disarm My Heart

APOV

He relinquished his hold on me, much to my disappointment. Touching him had been the highlight of my week. And it was gone, over.

He took a deep sigh and signaled with his hand that I should walk with him. So I did. We walked all the way to the edge of our property—where the forest me the grass—in complete silence. It was torture.

I just wanted to apologize. I just wanted him to say that everything would be okay. But all I heard was silence, agonizing silence.

Abruptly, Jasper turned to face me. The trees all stood behind him. They were magnificent and beautiful, but my eyes never strayed.

"Can I just say everything that I need to say without interruption?" he asked, his face completely serious.

I gulped, dread washing through me. I knew that what he was going to say would be painful. I only hoped that it wouldn't kill me.

I nodded.

"It has been so easy to love you, Alice. From the moment I met you. Even in the middle of fighting. Always. It has been more natural than breathing. And this past week I feel like I've been holding my breath. Air isn't getting to my lungs. It's not because I don't love you, quite the opposite."

Jasper shifted his body to the side.

"I am an idiot. I realized that the second that I called off the engagement. I want to spend my entire life with you." My heart leapt at his words. "But we are going to have to resolve some things first."

I nodded. At this point, I was willing to cut off my right foot.

"Okay," he breathed a sigh. "Feel free at any time to jump in. We need to resolve this, not bury it."

"Okay," I whispered.

"I love you," he said with a smile. I narrowed my eyes at him. Was this a joke?

"I love you too," I replied suspiciously. Jasper laughed at me.

"Just checking," he smiled again and my heart started beating faster. "I'm not marrying you until you graduate high school."

My jaw dropped. He had never said it like that before—a complete refusal. Several times he expressed his feelings of not wanting to get married before I graduated, but never was he so firm on the matter.

"Why?" I asked, pouting slightly. "How much difference is a few months going to make?" He smiled wickedly.

"Exactly, what's a few more months? You'll have your diploma. Rosalie will have already had the baby. She probably won't attend otherwise. She's already worried that she's going to get big. And I know our wedding should not be about her, but family is important to me. I want my twin there."

Of course I wanted Rose there. I hadn't really considered how far she would be in her pregnancy. She wasn't due to deliver until early February. The baby would be a few months old if we had the wedding at the beginning of June. I could totally make a spring wedding work.

"Okay," I relented. "What's next on the list?"

"Guest list," he said.

"No. No," I replied shaking my head.

"I'm not asking you to eliminate everyone on the list. I'm simply asking if we could make it smaller, more personal. Or maybe have a smaller ceremony and a big reception."

Compromise. You love him, so compromise, my mind told me over and over again.

"Two hundred at the ceremony. Five hundred at the reception," I offered. Jasper started to laugh.

"On hundred at the ceremony." I tried to interrupt him here. One hundred? That was a joke. Jasper put his hand over my mouth. The physical contact made my brain momentarily fog over long enough for him to finish. "One hundred at the ceremony and you can invite however many you want to the reception."

I thought it over. It was actually a very good deal for me. The reception was the reason most people went to weddings anyway.

He removed his hand from my mouth. "I surrender again."

"Okay, I only have a few more things and then you can do whatever you want. Besides picking out the menu, choosing the playlist, and showing up, I don't care. Have you mom or Bella—um, maybe not Bella—or someone help you with all the other stuff."

I looked up at him. "And that's it?"

"That's it," Jasper replied.

"Okay, then will you kiss me?" He raised his eyebrows at me. He smiled his sexy smile.

"I think that can be arranged." Jasper leaned down to kiss me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling me closer to him.

A sharp pain in my back made me break to kiss. "Ow. Oh, oh. Oh. That hurts."

His eyes were wide with fear. "What's wrong?"

"Bella. She kicked me in the back when Edward pulled her off me. It just started hurting."

Jasper turned me around. His hands rested on my shoulders. "Where does it hurt?"

I reached my arm around and found the spot in the middle of my back. I winced. It hurt to touch it.

"I can't believe you said those things to Bella," Jasper remarked. I could tell that he was disappointed in me. I was disappointed in myself. Bella was the one who had suggested that I call Jasper and try to fix things. And I was not a good friend to her. I deserved to be slapped.

"Me neither. I have to go apologize to her. You bring out the best and worst in me. That fight was, obviously, the worst."

I felt Jasper put his hands on my hips. He lowered himself to his knees and started lifting up the back of my shirt. His fingers lightly touched my skin.

"What are you doing?"I asked.

"I wanted to get a better look at your battle wound. And you are much too short for me to get a good view, so I'm going down to your level." I could tell that he was smiling.

"Ha ha. Tall people are so funny. It's a good thing that I love you," I tried to say angrily, but my last word came out in a gasp. Jasper's finger traced the sore spot on my back.

He whistled. "Remind me to never go kickboxing with Bella."

"Bad?" I asked.

"You are bruised up. It's going to hurt for a while." I felt Jasper's lips on my skin, barely touching the bruise.

"All better?" He laughed, using me to help pull himself up off his knees.

"I wish it was that easy, that I could just kiss away any pain. That I could make everything better that easily."

I turned around to look at him. He looked sad. On an impulse, I reached out and grabbed his hand, rubbing circles with my thumb.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you," he whispered. "I can't forgive myself for making you cry."

"I'm sorry for being a bitch and not taking into account your opinions. And I forgive you, even if you can't."

There was a huge clap of thunder and then it started to rain. This wasn't ordinary Forks mist either. It was a downpour.

"Oh, shit," Jasper cursed. He so rarely did, at least when I was around.

"It's like a fifteen minute walk back to the house," I yelled. The rain had gotten really loud. And we were already completely soaked.

"Come on," he said, clutching my hand tighter. He took off running and I was dragged along.

Jasper had much longer legs than I did. And he wasn't wearing a drenched miniskirt. Needless to say, he had to slow down so that I could keep up.

When the house was finally in sight, I was so excited that I slipped. And I dragged my fiancée down with me. I giggled through my embarrassment.

Jasper looked at me, his eyes incandescent. I grabbed onto either side of his face and kissed him, while lying in the grass in the middle of a storm. He kissed me back.

Quickly, he pulled us to our feet. And he started jogging. His jogging was my running.

We made it to the porch, breathless and wet. And completely in love.

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Review...


	14. The Current and the Heavens Collide

A/N: I'm glad that so many of you liked the previous chapter. It was one of my favorites to write so far. The chapter title comes from "Echo" by The Hush Sound.

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

The Current and the Heavens Collide

EmPov

I groaned. And then I yawned as I woke up. My eyes blinked a couple times, before they actually managed to stay open.

My fingers bent and my arms stretched out. I looked at the familiar room—chocolate-colored walls, beige carpet, dark red comforter. It was more comfortable than my own room.

I turned to my side, but found the other side of the bed empty. She was already awake. And from the intoxicating smells that made their way up to her room, she made breakfast.

Climbing out of bed, not bothering to put on a shirt, I walked down the stairs. I had decided to stay at Rosalie's house for the week so that all of the triplets would have their own room. Irina was staying in my room; she was my favorite.

I saw her in the kitchen holding a spatula. She hadn't changed out of her pajamas. She looked so adorable, with her hair pulled back and a look of determination on her face. I could only guess how I got so lucky.

"Good morning, Baby," I said, pulling her into my arms and kissing her forehead.

Then, I put a hand on her stomach—it had only recently begun to grow, at least that's how it looked to me. I looked at her belly. "You too, baby."

"Morning," Rosalie said, a smile on her face.

I looked at what she was cooking. It seemed to be a random coalition of foods. Pancakes. Chocolate syrup. Bananas. Pecans. Broccoli. And bacon, lots and lots of bacon.

"That looks…tasty," I joked. She shot me a warning glance. I knew better by now than to make fun of what she ate. As she constantly reminded me, she was pregnant and I needed to be nice.

She had told me that her morning sickness had mostly gone away since she entered her second trimester. Good news for her. And for me. Every time she puked when I was around, I puked too. I had lost ten pounds, which brought on her wrath because she was gaining weight.

I looked at the kitchen table. Rosalie had laid out the floor plans for our new house. I was going to use some of my trust fund to build a house on the outskirts of Forks. And it would be completely done, decorating and all, a month before the baby arrived.

It was going to cost more to rush the process, but it was worth it. And I had the money. Why not spend it on the two most important people in my world?

We had just decided to build the house a few days before, after discovering that real estate in Forks was seriously lacking. Nothing suited us. Rosalie even went so far as cussing out the real estate agent. Poor girl. She should have known not to tick off a pregnant woman. But I guess that doesn't excuse Rose making her cry.

I looked at the plans. It looked like Rose had been trying to redraw them. She wanted to add another bedroom.

"Baby, what's this?" I asked.

She brought all of her food to the table. Innocently, she looked at me. That look was trouble.

"I think that we need four bedrooms plus the nursery."

I hated arguing with her. She always played "I'm pregnant" card. I could never win.

"But, Baby, we already decided to have three bedrooms and the nursery," I said in a completely neutral tone.

Rose smiled at me. "I think we need four," she said firmly, nodding.

"Why? Is that where you are going to make me sleep when you get mad at me?" I joked.

"No, you'll be sleeping on the couch," she threatened. I could tell that she meant that if she didn't get the extra bedroom, I would be sleeping on the couch for a long time.

"Rosie, we've already given the plans to the builders," I reminded her, gently, carefully. "They've already laid the foundation."

"Then we will just have to re-work the interior. The first floor really can't be rearranged, but maybe we could do something with the second floor."

Rose pulled the plans for the second floor from my grasp. Holding it out in front of her, she studied it. We would have to cut the size of our bedroom and the nursery to make room for another bedroom.

"I don't think that is going to work either," Rose said. I sighed, thinking that maybe she was relenting. So wrong. "What about the basement?"

I started to shake my head. The basement was where my game room was going to be. She had already promised. I had it in writing, photocopied, and signed.

I had already completely designed my game room. It was going to be awesome. I was going to have all of my gaming stations connected to different plasma screens through out the room. One would have my Xbox. One would have my Playstation. I was going to buy a Wii. And, last but not least, my pièce de résistance, my old school Nintendo that I found on EBay. I even had Super Mario Brothers.

I was getting my game room.

"No," I told her.

"But Emmett," she whined.

"Why do we even need another room? There are only three of us. And the baby is going to be in the nursery for at least a year?" She pouted.

Rosalie took a bite of her pancake concoction. "What if people come to stay with us?"

"Like who? Almost all of the important people live in Forks." Angrily, she took another bite.

"I don't know. Your grandfather?" I smiled at her.

Rosalie had met my grandfather when he came to visit Alice and I. Edward had seen him during his trip to Chicago. My grandfather loved Rose.

"There will be a guest room available. There will be two until the baby gets her room. We don't need another room."

"Fine," she surrendered. "But I get a walk in closet." I leaned across the table to kiss her.

"Yes, you do. And you can fill it with all the clothes you want."

She made a face at me. I didn't understand. Rose sighed.

"I have to go buy maternity clothes. I'm getting fat," she said like it was a sin.

"You are not fat. You are pregnant. And you are beautiful, so shut up."

"Wow, Emmett," she teased. "Real nice. Telling the pregnant lady to shut up."

"You know that I love you. When is your next appointment?" I asked.

"It's on the calendar," she said, staring to stand up. I stood up quicker.

"I'll go look. You eat breakfast," I ordered.

I walked further into the kitchen. The calendar was next to the refrigerator. I looked carefully for the appointment.

"Two weeks from yesterday. I'll make sure to clear the entire day."

Rosalie was laughing as I sat back down at the table. I frowned at her. She just laughed harder.

"Like you do anything, Emmett."

"I'm taking summer classes," I reminded her. She smiled, finally overcoming her giggling problem.

"I know. I'm sorry. I was just teasing. Will you forgive me?"

I shook my head. Her jaw dropped. She pulled her lips into a pout and I was reminded of how she got pregnant in the first place. I was way too weak to resist her.

"Of course I forgive you."

Rosalie's smile was brilliant.

"God, how did I get so lucky?" I whispered.

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3499 Hits. 187 Reviews. That's awesome. You guys are awesome.

Now that I've buttered you up, I have a favor to ask you guys. I haven't really picked out a baby name for their kid. So, if you guys could throw in suggestions for a boy and a girl. I'm not telling which it is going to be. You will, of course, be thanked profusely if I choose your suggestion.


	15. Hate Is A Strong Word

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A/N: Thanks for all the suggestions. You guys are great. The title of this chapter comes from the song "(Hate) I Really Don't Like You" by Plain White Tees.

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

Hate Is A Strong Word

BPOV

This was a bad idea. Seriously, Alice had to be joking. There was no way that Tanya, Kate. Irina, Rosalie, and I were all going to get along. It's like she was asking for trouble.

We were supposed to have a 'girls' day.' To me this seemed like a personalized form of torture. Surely Alice knew about the bad blood between me and Tanya. I hated her, wanted her dead and she hung all over my boyfriend in an effort to piss me off.

I rang the doorbell with great reluctance. Fidgeting, I pulled my hair into a ponytail, before taking it out and combing my fingers through my hair. This was going to be awful.

Kate opened the door. Immediately, her arms were around me. She hugged me like we were best friends who had been separated for months, not acquaintances who had just met.

"Kate," I said. She didn't listen. "Kate, I can't breathe."

She let go of me and gasped. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just get so excited to see you. It feels like forever."

I rolled my eyes. "It was last night."

"Oh. Was it? It seems like forever." I entered the Cullen house. Every time I came over, I was momentarily stunned, even after all this time.

"I'm going to go get water," I said, trying to escape Kate's friendliness.

I didn't have anything against Kate. She was a sweet girl. She was just way too happy all the time for me. It kind of reminded me of how moody Edward had been when he first moved and how I said he was too moody. Maybe she had a back story. Or maybe she was just a happy person. Could I really fault her that?

I walked into the kitchen and instantly turned back around. I was too late. She had already seen me, so I figured I might as well just get my water.

Unhurriedly, I twisted around to face Tanya. I smiled at her. I tried to smile at her, but it may have transformed into a scowl.

I went to the kitchen cabinets and got a glass. Then, I went to the refrigerator, poured me some water, and walked to the far end of the room. I didn't say one word.

Then, I remembered my stupid agreement with Edward. I really needed to learn when to shut up.

"I promised Edward that I would be nice to you, so I'm just going to go." I pointed toward the living room and safety.

"How is that being nice to me?" she asked, flipping her blonde hair.

I had to work really hard to keep my hands from converting into fists.

"If we aren't in the same room, then I can't kill you. That's about as close to nice as I can get in regard to you," I answered truthfully.

She smiled an evil smile. It reminded me of Disney movies when the bad guy finally got their way. It was wickedness and ecstasy rolled into one.

"You hate me," she said simply.

"Yes," I replied. Tanya started to laugh. I expected "mwahahaha," but was sadly disappointed when it turned out to be a regular person laugh.

"It's understandable. I am a bit of a succubus. That doesn't win me a lot of female friends."

"Maybe if you quit…" I suggested curtly. She laughed again.

"It's not in my nature to quit, but don't worry, little one, I don't want Edward."

My fists clenched before I had a chance to register it. Who was this bitch? And what would it take to kill her? I was sure if I looked hard enough I could find a wooden stake to stab through her heart.

I wanted to yell out for her not to call me little one, but I repressed it.

"You think of yourself as a succubus? No, Honey, you're a slut," I said degradingly.

Tanya smiled. And it wasn't one of those evil smiles. "I like you. You don't take crap. Edward chose well."

I was really confused by her tactic. Was she being nice for real? Or was she being nice long enough to lure me into a false sense of security?

I sighed, "Just stay away from him."

She smiled patiently. "I gave up on Edward a long time ago. He would barely look at me with those gorgeous green eyes of his. I began to wonder if he was gay." I suppressed a laugh. "But you should see the way he looks at you. He's definitely not."

"Umm…okay. Thanks for that."

Tanya took a step closer to me and I fought the urge to strangle her. It was all instinct, I swear. It was mostly instinct.

"Can you just tell me one little thing?" she whispered secretively.

"Depends on what it is," I replied.

"Well…Edward…I mean, I've just always wanted to know," she rambled. I sighed. "What is he like in bed? He has to be phenomenal, absolutely mind-blowing."

I usually blush. This question, however, made me blanch. I became even paler than I was normally.

"We haven't really…" I whispered.

"Wait!" Tanya yelled, putting her hands up as if to stop traffic. "You haven't tapped that yet?"

The impulse to cause her early demise returned. "Do NOT talk about Edward like that."

"Touchy," she replied calmly. "You definitely need to get laid. Everyone thinks that only boys get cranky when they go without sex. So not true."

"Just," I said, mentally screaming bad words in my head. "Leave me alone. Gah, I don't know how I'm supposed to be nice to you. It's like you go out of your way to make me want to murder you."

I walked to the freezer and pulled out one of the four cartons of ice cream. I took a spoon from the drawer and took the entire container with me into the living room. Her death was imminent if I stayed.

Alice, sitting on the couch between Rosalie and Irina, got a weird look on her face. It was between a smile and a grimace. She looked directly at me.

Our fight was over, long forgotten. We were both upset at the time; she a little bit more than I. But everything seemed better. She and Jasper were back together. Edward and I weren't fighting, even after we found Irina kissing Jake.

"What?" I asked.

"You don't want me to say it right now," she replied.

"How bad is it?" A look of humor crossed her face.

"That depends on who you ask, Bella. For you, it's not bad. For me, it's very very bad." I frowned.

"I don't want to do anything that is going to be very bad for you." She laughed once.

"That's really sweet, um…but it's not the…act that is the problem." She giggled, taking turns between covering her eyes and her ears.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm trying to block the mental images," she said, still laughing.

"It doesn't really work like that, Alice. Covering your eyes won't stop you from seeing things in your head."

"I know," she said with a smile.

Tanya came into the room with a bottle of vodka. I groaned. I was pretty sure that I couldn't hold my alcohol. The only time that I had ever drunk alcohol I had mixed it with soda. Straight vodka would probably slaughter me.

"The game is 'I Never.' Someone starts off saying that they have never done something and everyone who has takes a swig, excluding the pregnant lady. She has to eat a spoonful of ice cream," Tanya explained the rules.

I was tempted to say that I was pregnant so that I wouldn't have to drink, but too many people would know that to be impossible. I wasn't the Virgin Mary. Darn it.

"Pregnant lady starts," Tanya said.

Rose glared at her. "Okay, first off, I have a name and I will kick your ass if you don't stop referring to me as 'Pregnant lady.' Secondly, I just want you all to know that I would pwn you all at this game if I wasn't pregnant."

Rose smiled wide at Tanya. Then, the little witch came in and sat next to me. I was thrilled.

"I've never kissed Edward," Rosalie said, asking the question I desperately wanted the answer to.

Alice reached out for the bottle. She shrugged. "He's my baby brother." Then, she took a drink.

She handed it to me, a strange glint in her eye. "Do we have to explain our reason?" I asked before taking a drink.

I looked around at the rest of the circle, waiting for anyone else to take the bottle. Kate shook her head. Irina shook her head. Then, I looked at Tanya. She smirked at me.

"I haven't kissed your boyfriend." It sounded like she wanted to add the word '"yet" to the end.

"So, does that mean it is my turn?" I asked. Tanya nodded.

I chose a simple path that would get them all. "I've never had siblings." They all groaned,

One by one around the circle they took a drink. Rosalie took a bite from the carton of ice cream I had brought to the living room. She added kiwi to it. Don't ask me, I don't understand why.

The game went on and on. Tanya said that she had never slapped her best friend, which was a direct attack at me. I drank without comment. Irina said that she never had sex in a hot tub. A surprising number of people had to drink. Alice said that she had never been to a strip club. All of the triplets had to drink. Irina said that she had never been engaged.

Alice drank for this one, obviously. But the surprise came when Rosalie took a bit of ice cream. My eyebrows shot up. We were friends. How did I not know this?

"He asked me last night," she said in a whisper, her beautiful face glowing.

I shrieked and ran across the room to hug her. "Oh my gosh, Rosalie. That's so exciting. Do you have a ring?"

She nodded. I looked at her finger. Nothing.

"Um…" I questioned. She laughed.

"I have a ring. I just don't have it on my finger. It's actually a really cool story. You know how Emmett's grandfather loves me?" she asked. I heard Alice snort.

"I think that he likes you more than he likes me," Alice said with a smile.

"Well, he offered Emmett his wife's engagement ring, since she recently passed and because he loves me so much. Em liked the idea, but he waited until now to propose. Don't ask me why."

"You're getting married," I said.

"Yeah, but it won't be for a while, at least another year. The baby is our first priority."

I sighed. It seemed like everyone was getting what they wanted. Alice was getting married. Rosalie was pregnant and engaged. Heck, even Irina made out with Jacob in a coat closet.

Why couldn't I just get the one thing I asked for?

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Review?


	16. Touch Sight Taste Like Fire

A/N: Okay, I don't know if anyone actually reads these things or not, but I have something of relative importance to say. I changed the rating of the story from T to M. It doesn't, in my opinion, need that high of a rating, but with the amount of sexuality--while not explicit--presented in this story it may be for the best. I wouldn't want to corrupt the minds of the world's youth through fanfiction.

The chapter title comes form "Dance Inside" by The All-American Rejects.

Dislcaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephanie Meyer.

Touch Sight Taste Like Fire

BPOV

Alice was evil. She was pure evil. She had claimed that this would be helpful, but it was just plain sadistic.

I was almost finished with the cd she had given me to listen to. Some of the songs were raunchy. Others were unbearably sweet. They just made me want Edward more. She had even, somehow, gotten a copy of my lullaby and put it on the cd.

The last song played. It, like many of the others, alluded to sex. But it was…not tamer, necessarily, but it seemed to hold the act up as something almost sacred.

The second the song ended, my phone rang. Huge shocker, it was Alice. I answered immediately.

"Go over to my house right now. Lie to Charlie. And go right now," she said cryptically.

Before I had a chance to respond, she had hung up.

Like any best friend of a psychic, I listened to what she said. I grabbed my keys and ran downstairs. And straight into my father.

"Where's the fire, Bells?" he asked.

"Um…" I stumbled for words. "Wedding emergency. Alice said she needed me right this second. I think they shipped the wrong forks or something. It's a mess."

I kept running. My dad was a cop. Shouldn't he have been able to tell that I was lying my ass off?

I got in my truck and drove straight to the Cullen's house. For the first time in my life, I forced my truck to go over the speed limit. I don't know what was waiting for me, I only hoped that Alice wouldn't steer me wrong.

I opened the Cullen's front door. It wasn't locked, which surprised me because it didn't look like anyone was home. Then, I heard a familiar song playing.

My lullaby continued as I walked up the first flight of stairs and then the second. I could see that his bedroom door was open. I peeked into his room.

At the same time, the song changed. It grew; it was light and airy but became a frenzy. It exploded with sound for several pulse-pounding seconds, and then it faded to the airy melody again. Finally, there was a repetition of the melody of the lullaby combined with the explosion of sound. Somehow, they worked together perfectly—blending and weaving before crescendoing to a climax.

Two notes quavered. And then all sound stopped. My heart stopped beating too.

I looked at Edward through tear-filled eyes. His eyes were closed and his hands rested on the keyboard. The scene I had just witnessed was spectacular. His fingers could do amazing things.

I started clapping softly. He looked up at me and smiled. I came further into his room.

"You like it?" he asked. I laughed.

"Yeah. It was beautiful. Did you just write that?"

"I needed a distraction. Apparently, you inspire me to write beautiful, crazy songs."

"Is it because you think I am crazy and beautiful?" I joked.

"Of course," he replied.

I hopped onto his bed, while he stayed seated on the floor. His eyes had widened slightly when I did. I smiled at him.

"So…what was that song?" I asked, honestly curious.

"What do you mean?" His forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Well, my song was like a lullaby. This song was…kind of intense."

Edward looked at his keyboard as if it was to blame. "I suppose that it was kind of intense."

He looked almost embarrassed by his song, which confused me immensely.

"Which brings me back to 'what was that song?'" He blushed. Impossible. Now he definitely had to answer the question. "You said I inspired it. How did I inspire that?"

His fingers brushed the keys again, playing the first few notes of the new song. "It's what I imagine being with you is going to be like," he whispered loudly enough for me to hear him.

I climbed off of his bed and sat down next to him. He continued playing the song. I listened to it with new understanding. When it was over, my heart was beating wildly.

I kissed Edward on the cheek. "You are going to be an amazing lover."

He smiled my absolute favorite crooked smile. "And why do you say that?"

"That song is more than enough proof. Did you hear it? I got turned on just by listening to it."

"Oh, yeah?" he asked. Suddenly, he was past his awkwardness and had become Casanova. "I thought that I could do that just by looking at you."

I shook my head. "Nope, sorry. Maybe just seeing your hands would be enough, though."

"My hands? Really? Why?" I blushed.

"Hands do things. Oh, my gosh. I…never mind. I didn't say anything."

Edward laughed softly. He turned his head to look at me better. His green eyes were glowing.

"Don't be embarrassed, love. You have no idea what you do to me, how easily I am drawn under your spell."

I kissed him, softly at first. But like all of our kisses, that didn't last long. They quickly grew in an almost feverish intensity. Passion and love swirled in an unbeatable combination.

Edward stood up suddenly and I was left in a brief state of confusion. He reached for my hands and helped me to my feet. His hands continued to hold onto mine as his lips slid down my neck. They found the hollow at the base of my throat.

He laughed quietly, his warm breath colliding with my skin. I shivered, which just pleased Edward more. I felt him smile against my neck.

At last, he released my hands. His left hand trailed all the way down my spine, eliciting gasps from me. Then, he rested them on the small of my back, his right hand on my neck.

My hands somehow found their way into his hair again. It seemed that is where they always were. There was something different about his hair.

I looked at him curiously, pulling just far enough away from his kisses. "Your hair is wet."

He frowned. "I don't see why that is a big deal." Edward tried to kiss me again.

I stepped back again.

"I took a shower earlier. I needed to cool off," he said. I smiled, stepping back into range.

"How is that whole cooling off thing working for you?" I leaned in to kiss him.

He smiled against my lips. "Very very badly."

Edward scooped me up off my feet. I giggled.

"You are going to carry me to your bed?"

"Yes," he said passionately.

"It's like two feet away. Does it make you feel strong or something?" I asked jokingly.

He surprised me with an serious answer. "I only feel strong when you are in my arms. Then, I feel like I can take on the entire world."

I was momentarily void of any words to speak. "Aww. That's so sweet, but you don't have to try to seduce me. I already want to sleep with you." He laughed.

Edward laid me gently down on his bed, but I scrambled to my knees. He looked curious. I took his hand and yanked him onto the bed with me.

He mirrored my position, on his knees facing me. I tugged on the bottom of his shirt. He helped me take pull his shirt off.

It wasn't the first time that I had seen Edward shirtless, but combined with the knowledge that this wasn't the only part of him I was going to see stunned me.

Slowly, he removed my shirt, his eyes dark. My breath sputtered. I look at the bedspread in embarrassment; I could feel my cheeks burning scarlet. He raised my chin and kissed me gently.

"Absolutely beautiful," he whispered, before leaning in to kiss me again.

And then I stopped breathing.

Every touch, every caress, every kiss set my skin on fire. Every sense was sent aflame. I had once worried that I would spontaneously combust if I didn't have Edward. But those were just sparks compared to the inferno I felt knowing that I would have him.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I shook my head. I was way beyond okay. "We can stop if you aren't ready." I shook my head furiously.

"No. I am ready." He looked a bit skeptical.

"You haven't taken a breath in about a minute, Bella."

I kissed him softly. "I love you. I want you. Right now."

He smiled his crooked smile, which looked even more seductive than I remembered it.

"Anything you want," he whispered seductively.

And he was worried about my breathing. That one little comment of his made me start hyperventilating. But, really, who needs air when you have Edward?

Edward laid me down on the bed. He was right beside me, holding onto me possessively. He kissed me with passion.

"I love you," I said, when air finally returned to my lungs long enough for me to speak.

"I love you so much."

I became his. And he became mine. Our bodies and souls melting into one.

* * *

Review...maybe.


	17. Lie With Me and Just Forget the World

A/N: There are only going to be a few more chapters after this one. And they are going to jump forward in time a bit.

Chapter title comes from "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol.

Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

Lie With Me and Just Forget the World

EPOV

I collapsed on the bed next to Bella, my heart still racing. Our breathing—at this point I couldn't distinguish what was hers and what was mine—came in ragged gasps. I just laid and listened to my heart slowing, my eyes closed.

When I finally returned to a semi-normal state—though I knew I would never be quite the same as I was before—I ran quickly to the bathroom to throw away the condom. When I returned, she was underneath the covers, her back facing me. I slid underneath my comforter.

I reached out and touched her tangled brown hair. It was a wonderfully beautiful mess, the hair of a goddess. Slowly, I leaned over to kiss her head. No response.

We hadn't said anything to each other since we had sex. It had only been a few minutes, but, still, any sort of communication would be welcome. Bella wouldn't even look at me.

I was sure that I had done something wrong.

Sex had been…kind of awkward. It wasn't awkward because of Bella, definitely not. It just took us some time to find a rhythm. And then I had to go and come before her. I tried to bring her too, I tried everything, but it didn't work. And that's why I figured she wasn't talking to me.

Like I had thought, I was awful at sex.

I felt my eyes droop. I was exhausted, though I didn't think that I had a right to be. Sleep couldn't come yet. I had to talk to Bella first.

"Bella," I whispered. She moaned and rolled over to look at me, her eyes half-open.

Somehow, she looked even more beautiful than I remembered her. I pulled her close enough to me, so that I could both hold her and admire her. She smiled softly at me, her cheeks blushing pink.

"What on earth could you possibly be embarrassed about?" I asked. She smiled.

"We just had sex," she said, almost triumphantly.

"I know." Did she think they I forgot? It wasn't really something that could be forgotten that easily.

Bella pushed herself closer to me, resting her head against my chest.

I almost blushed as I asked her my question. "How was it for you?"

She giggled. Her breath felt cool against my skin. It was a glorious sensation.

"I was right," she said. What on earth was she talking about?

"How does that answer the question?"

Bella put her hands on my chest and leaned away from me so that she could look into my eyes. Hers were radiant. They were so full of love that I felt overwhelmed.

"It was phenomenal, because it was with you."

"But I didn't…you didn't…" I stuttered, embarrassingly.

She reached out and took my face in her hands. With her thumbs, she softly stroked my cheeks. Bella leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips.

"Do you love me?" she asked. Why would she ask that? Did she not think I did?

"Of course, I love you," I replied, thoroughly confused.

"Was this your first time?" Why was she asking me these questions? She should know all the answers already.

"Yes," I said. She smiled, which just puzzled me further.

Bella laughed once. "So, you're saying that you aren't a pro at having sex yet?"

I blushed a little. "Um…no," I said, not sure of the proper answer.

She kissed me again. "I can't believe that I wasn't the one going into this with unrealistic expectations. Or are you just that self-deprecating? It was our first time, Edward. It wasn't supposed to be perfect. It was supposed to be crazy and passionate and awkward. We'll get better at it."

I smiled. Bella was perfect. "I think that we definitely need more practice."

Bella looked down and blushed again. "After my little spiel, would it be weird to ask how it was for you?"

I tried to speak but I couldn't find the words. All that I could do was smile. I hoped that she understood.

"That's what I thought," she said, giggling again.

We laid there for several minutes, content in silence. She put her head back against my chest. I held her in my arms. The feel of her skin was intoxicating.

Instead of focus on her skin--which was bound to get me in trouble soon—I thought of my family who were all conveniently absent. Carlisle and Esme were taking the triplets to the Seattle 

airport. They were going home. Alice and Jasper were off tasting food for their menu, even though the wedding was like years away. Emmett and Rosalie were probably out buying stuff for their new house or their new baby.

It was strange to think that they were so young and yet they were having a baby. It wasn't planned. I bet they never lay after sex and thought "I bet we got pregnant this time."

I looked over at Bella. "Are you worried about getting pregnant?"

She looked panicky all of a sudden. "Why did the condom break?" I shook my head. She hit me. "Then, why are you trying to scare me?"

"I wasn't. I was just thinking about Emmett and Rosalie, how young they are."

"Rosalie wasn't on the pill. I'm not saying that it's all her fault, but she should have known better," Bella said. It made me wonder…

"Are you on the pill?" I asked kind of feeling like it was none of my business; kind of feeling like my life depended on her answer.

"Yeah," she said. "When I went to Renee's over Christmas Break she found out that we were dating and took me to the doctor there. I've just stayed on the pill. I never really knew when we would…"

I tried to wrap my mind around this. She had been taking birth control for like eight months, way before Rosalie and Emmett got pregnant. It was even way before we had been talking about sex. But I was…I don't know, proud of her.

I kissed Bella.

"You don't think that it's weird?" she asked.

"Yeah, but, you are looking out for yourself. I can understand that." It was getting way too serious. I felt like I was suffocating. "Plus, now you have some use for it. I'm going to keep you busy," I said.

Bella laughed. "Oh yeah, who said that I wanted to have sex with you?"

"Umm…you did," I said.

"Nope," she replied. I gasped and started tickling her.

"Yes, you did. Admit it. You want to have sex with me." She started laughing and squirming.

"No. I won't"

"Say it," I ordered.

"No. Edward," she shrieked.

"Say it, Bella," I laughed.

"Fine, fine, but stop tickling me." I stopped and folded me arms across my chest. Bella smiled wide. "Fine, Edward, I want to have sex with you. Gah."

She sat up, pulling the blanket with her. A curious look was on her face. I tried to speak, but she hushed me.

"I think someone else is here," she whispered, her face burning red.

"I don't hear anyone," I whispered back.

"I swear that I heard someone." Fear was evident in her voice.

I decided to at least get up and shut my bedroom door. If Alice or someone came home, the door would momentarily stop them. I found my boxers on the floor and slipped them on, quickly walking across the room to shut the door.

Someone else met me on the other side of the door.

"Hey," I said. I know I sounded like I was hiding something. And I was—my girlfriend naked in my bed.

"Hi," he replied, trying to look past me. "What are you up to? And why are you not wearing any clothes?"

Emmett's eyes narrowed. His face got red. He was very angry.

Somehow this seemed very familiar.

"Bella," Em yelled. "Put on some clothes and meet me in the living room."

He turned to me. "Five minutes," he said.

I didn't understand what his problem was.

I closed the bedroom door and Bella was almost completely dressed. She was pulling her shirt over her head. I grabbed my black athletic shorts that I was wearing before.

Bella ran her fingers through her hair in an effort to tame it. I took her other hand and walked down the stairs with her. She seemed fidgety, so I squeezed her hand.

In the living, a baby's crib was set up. Emmett was sitting in a chair staring at it. He looked sad.

"I'm sorry I freaked out earlier," Em said. "It's just…I love Rosalie. And I love the baby, but I just wish it was coming in a few years, not a few months. I don't want you guys to make the same mistake."

Bella walked over to Emmett and hugged him. He smiled thankfully at her. She smiled back.

"We're going to be careful, Em. I promise."

"Good girl," he said. "I'm not ready to become an uncle."

* * *

Reviews are wonderful things.


	18. Waiting for the Hint of a Spark

A/N: My current guess is that there will be two more chapters, maybe three. The title and lyrics used in this chapter are from "I Will Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie.

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

Waiting For the Hint of a Spark

APOV

"You realize that we still have five months until we get married," he said. "We don't have to pick out the playlist now."

I took out the spatula and tried to flip the pancake. Only half of it landed in the frying pan, the other half was over the side and catching fire. I screamed.

Jasper rushed over to the stove. He turned off the fire and moved the frying pan to a different burner. He took the spatula from my hands, using it to get the entire pancake inside the pan.

Then, he smiled, handing me spatula. His lips briefly connected with mine. A hint of humor lighted his eyes. This was the eighth time he had to step in and rescue me.

I sucked at cooking. And Esme was being evil and kept forcing cooking lessons on me. She had tried to teach me cookies—which I secretly called Bella for help with. Macaroni and cheese turned out inedible and, somehow, green. Don't ask me, I don't know.

Spaghetti turned out okay, but only because Jasper saved me from myself. He ended up doing more of the cooking than I did. But he never seemed to mind. He found amusement in my inability to adequately prepare a meal. I hoped that would continue on into our marriage.

And now, Esme had forced me to make pancakes. The batter was easy. The flipping was hard. The first problem was that I had no idea when I was supposed to flip them. The pancakes kept sticking or they got burnt. Ninety percent of the pancakes wouldn't be served to starving children. That would just be cruel.

I stepped up on my tiptoes. It was my signal that I wanted to kiss him. The height difference to us didn't really matter, except for kissing and a few other things. I liked having a tall fiancée. Jasper bent down. He grabbed my hips and lifted me up so that I was sitting on the kitchen counter. His lips teasingly touched mine.

"You are an awful chef," he said, smiling.

"I know. It's a good thing that you find it endearing rather than repulsive."

"Wait. I do?" Jasper smiled wickedly at me.

"You better, because it doesn't look like I'm getting any better at this."

He wrapped his arms around my waist. Even sitting on the counter, I was still a few inches shorter than him. He leaned his forehead against mine.

"I love you," he whispered.

It got me every time. My heart started jumping around in a crazy, random beat. And my mind momentarily stopped working.

"I love you too."

His eyes—his beautiful eyes—looked at me with such adoration. It was undeserved. Still, it was the same way I looked at him. And he probably thought it was undeserved too.

"I say," he whispered slyly, "that we ignore the pancakes and just make out." I shook my head.

"I say that we ignore the pancakes and work on the playlist." He snorted.

"Only you would choose music over kissing."

"If the song was right, so would you," I replied.

"True. So what songs are we going to choose?" I wrinkled my nose at him.

"I don't know. That's the point of us talking about it."

"Okay," he said, pulling me to his chest and away from the counter. He sat me on floor. "Let's talk."

"Do you have a preference for our first song?" I asked.

I had a song that I wanted. It reminded me of us. And it was our connection. How could we not choose a song by them?

"It sounds like you do," he said, smiling at me.

"Yes," I said. "But if you don't want it, then I'm open to other suggestions." It took great effort and a little bit of pain to utter that sentence.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'll Follow You into the Dark."

I waited for it—the rejection. Jasper was trying this whole "being firm" thing with me. It meant that I got my way a lot less than I wanted. But, in all fairness to him, it meant that Jasper got his way at least every once in a while. And if it made him happy, then I was happy.

"Love of mine. Someday you will die, but I'll be close behind. I'll follow you into the dark," he sung the first few lines of the song to me. The song sounded even more beautiful when he sung it. Now when he rejected it, I was going to be in physical pain.

"I like it," he finally said. "Though, it isn't a traditional wedding song."

I laughed. "What about us is traditional? I occasionally see the future. You have always these weird emotional issues that I'm not going to even pretend that I understand. I knew a few days after I met you that I loved you. It was like I already knew that I was yours, even if I didn't see it yet."

He looked at me curiously. I lowered my head. I hadn't meant to go on a little tangent.

"What did you see that day that I proposed? Did you see me proposing? Or did you see the wedding?"

I shook my head. I hadn't seen the proposal. And I hadn't seen the wedding. If I had, then maybe I would have known what to purchase. I would have known not to go overboard and almost wreck things.

I smiled. "No. I saw something way better." I felt tears forming in my eyes. Every single time I thought about it, without fail, I started to cry.

"What was it?" He took my hand.

"You and me," I sniffed, "when we were in our seventies. We were holding hands and walking through this beautiful park. It was autumn--orange and yellow leaves covered the ground. You stopped walking suddenly and turned to look at me. It's exactly like how you are looking at me right now. And you whispered, 'I love you.'

"I whispered it back. And you smiled. It was the grin that melts me completely. Then you asked, 'Will you love me forever?' That's when I came out of it. That's when I saw your face and said, 'yes.'"

"But how did you know I was going to propose?" he asked.

"I knew something was up. And after the vision, I knew that we would be together. It only made sense that you would want to marry me."

He looked at the ground before meeting my eyes. They were fiery. But another expression was leaking into them.

"You have never scared me so much as you did that day." He gulped loudly. "None of your visions were ever like that. Your eyes were closed, but I could see your eyes moving back and forth like you were dreaming. And your body started to shake. I jumped on my bed and held you down, terrified. You were gone like five minutes before you came out of it. I didn't know what to do or say. I was just glad you were alive. And then, you knew. I felt cheated out of a proposal." He smiled, trying to make up for his words.

I had always wondered what it looked like when I had my visions. And I was glad to hear that this wasn't the norm. I would give up my visions forever if it meant that Jasper would never have to worry about me like that ever again.

"I love you so much. I don't know if you can begin to fathom how much," I told him.

"I think I have a pretty good idea. It's a little bit less than how much I love you."

* * *

Only a few more chapters are left. So sad. The next chapter will be the introduction of the baby. I have a name, which a couple of different people suggested.

Oh, and reviewing would be lovely.


	19. Tough Little Boys

A/N:The title of this chapter is from a Gary Allen song by the same name. This chapter is kind of on the short side, a lot shorter than most of the other chapters.

The baby name was suggested by Twilight-Vampire-Angel, Mrs.EdwardCullen1714, and gracefullyme1025. Thank you all for your suggestions. Some of them will be used later (she said cryptically).

Disclaimer: Twilight is not mine.

Tough Little Boys

EmPov

A baby. I looked down at the sleeping child in my arms. I was completely awestruck by the miracle that I held.

Everything had gone smoothly; at least that's what the doctor told me. I thought that all the screaming and cursing was just something that happened in movies, but it was seriously accurate. Rose had decided to deliver the child naturally, without any drugs. I agreed with her decision, not really understanding what it meant.

I never knew that Rosalie had such a colorful vocabulary. She had cussed at me before, but never like this. Every other word was an expletive or a curse. She informed me that she hated me, my parents, Carlisle and Esme, Jasper—I'm not sure why, and pretty much everyone else that we knew.

Rosie was asleep now, exhausted after everything that had happened. The baby decided that it wanted to come at four in the morning. I was slightly less willing to wake up. Rose woke me up three different times. Finally, she screamed that if I wasn't downstairs in two minutes my name wouldn't be on the birth certificate. I don't know if she really could have done that, but it got me up.

I looked down at the baby, starting to stir. I knew that I would never again have a decent night's sleep. Every night for the rest of my life would be spent worrying about her. She was so beautiful, just like her mom.

I cried when I first saw her. She reduced me to tears. She was so beautiful, so precious.

When Rosalie got pregnant, I was sure that God was mad at me or hated me, something. But as soon as I saw her, I knew it wasn't true. If God hated me, then He never would have given me such a perfect gift.

She was in perfect health. She had all her fingers and her toes—I had counted three times to make sure. And she was mine. She was my little girl.

I was a dad. And I had a daughter. I was terrified out of my mind.

I already had plans of how I was going to enroll her in self-defense classes, the second she could kick. Her first steps and first day of school already haunted my mind. But, worse still, was the day I knew would someday come. I would have to give her up. She would be a bride. She would have someone in her life that was more important to her than me. And it scared me.

She started to squirm. I smiled. She wouldn't sit still. It was something that she had obviously inherited from me.

"Lillian Elizabeth Cullen," I said. "Stop that squirming, little girl. I'm trying to hold you and you are making it surprisingly difficult."

I laughed.

Rosalie turned over. She blinked her blue eyes open. A small smile was on her face.

"How is Lily?" she asked.

"She's doing fine. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine. I heard you say her name and I got worried."

I smiled. "I was just practicing using her full name."

Lillian was Rose's middle name and her grandmother's name. Elizabeth was my mother's name. And we decided to give her Cullen as a last name. We had a lot of options: Hale—Rosalie's last name, Cullen—Carlisle's last name and my legal last name, Masen—my father's last name, and we even considered McCarty—my mother's maiden name. In the end, we went with a last name that our entire family would share soon.

Rosalie had agreed to marry me. I considered this a miracle unto itself. I never understood how someone like Rosalie—beautiful, intelligent, and funny—could like someone like me. Beyond all reason or comprehension, she loved me and wanted to be my wife. Even if she hadn't gotten pregnant, I have no doubt in my mind that we would have gotten married eventually. Lily just sped things up.

"I love her name," Rose said.

"Me too. I have two beautiful flowers." She laughed lightly.

"Yeah, well, I'm not planning on a full garden anytime soon."

"I agree. Let's just worry about one for a while," I said.

"I love you," Rosalie said.

"I love you too, Rosie," I replied. "And you too, my little Lily."

* * *

Review.


	20. The Combination or the Key

A/N: This is the last "chapter." There will be an epilogue. And the chapter title comes from "Safe Unsafe" by The Hush Sound.

Disclaimer: Twilight is not my property.

The Combination or the Key

BPOV

"Do I look fat in this?" Rose asked. She was still worried that she hadn't lost weight post-baby. In reality, she looked even more gorgeous than before she had Lily.

Rosalie, Alice, and I were getting ready. The day had finally come. Alice and Jasper were getting married. But Alice didn't seem the typical nervous bride. She was completely at ease. And if I had to bet, Jasper would be the exact same. They never seemed to doubt that they were made for one another.

"It doesn't matter if you look fat or not. The real question is do I look fat?" Alice asked.

Alice had on a long white dress. It was simple, but elegant. It seemed a far cry from Alice's bubbly, over-the-top personality, but it worked.

"You look beautiful. Both of you," I said, looking in the mirror one final time. It was time to start walking.

Rosalie walked down the aisle before me. The black bridesmaid dresses that Alice had picked out were lovely, not like some hideous monstrosities that I had seen. I actually felt like I looked good.

As I walked down the aisle, I looked at the guys standing at the front. Emmett looked dapper in his tux. And Jasper, like I had predicted, was the picture of ease. But my eyes were desperate to see someone else. Edward gazed at me with such focus. It felt like he was trying to draw me to him.

Then, Alice walked down the aisle. She was a beautiful bride. Her eyes were transfixed on Jasper.

The ceremony was so beautiful. I couldn't keep myself from crying. There weren't two people alive who were so perfect for one another as Alice and Jasper. Their vows were so honest.

Jasper said. "I love you. And I will love you for all eternity. You are my everything."

To which Alice replied, "I have no doubt that you are my future, that we will stay together. I love you and I will love you forever."

Then they kissed. Lips so soft as they connected. Love so evidently displayed. It was tragically beautiful.

If the reception was mellow and very Jasper, then the reception was wild and very Alice. It was a nice combination of the two. A perfect union of two souls.

I sat at a table with Edward. He was holding Lily, smiling wide at her. Something inside me churned. I wanted him to be a daddy. He would be a good dad.

"You want a bit of the cake?" I asked. He opened his mouth.

I fed him with the fork. It was fantastic cake. Alice probably had contacted every bakery in the state to find the perfect cake.

"Can I just have a little icing?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied.

I dipped my finger in the icing and offered it to him. He smiled, raising his eyebrows. Edward put my finger in his mouth and sucked the frosting off of it.

Emmett came up to us then. He took Lily from Edward's arms. With one hand, he covered her eyes.

"None of that in front of my daughter. She is way too young to be seeing that sort of stuff."

"She won't remember it," Edward argued.

Em sighed. "With my luck, that will be her first memory. Some day she's going to come up to me and say, 'Daddy, why did Uncle Edward lick Aunt Bella's fingers?' And then I'm going to kill you both."

I laughed and Emmett turned to look at me. "You are so protective of her. It's really sweet, Em."

Emmett frowned. "I never realized there was so much to protect her from."

Rosalie started walking towards us. She stood as close to Emmett and physically possible. They both stared down at their baby.

"Em, I really want to dance with you," she said. "Let Bella hold Lily."

"They were being all lovey-dovey," he replied. Rosalie pouted, sticking her lips out. Even in elementary school, no one could resist Rose when she made that face. "Fine."

Emmett handed me Lily. Rose tugged on his hand, pulling him out to the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around her, just as protectively as he did with Lily.

I looked down at the little girl in my arms. She had beautiful blonde curls and big blue eyes. Lily looked just like Rosalie. But she acted just like Emmett. The girl never sat still. I could only imagine what it would be like when she started to talk.

I kissed Lily's cheeks. She just stared back at me. Then, I kissed her forehead. Lily smiled.

And I knew I wanted to be a mom, even though it was entirely way too early. I still had college and Edward had medical school after college. Now was not a good time to think about getting pregnant. We weren't even officially engaged yet.

"You are going to be a good mom," Edward said, as if he could read my thoughts.

"Some day," I replied. I sighed. "You'll be a good dad."

"Yeah," he smiled at me and my heart went wild, even after all this time. "Some day."

I looked at Alice and Jasper spinning around on the dance floor. They had the weirdest wedding playlist I had ever heard. I had never heard of any of these songs ever being played at a wedding. But it, like everything else about their wedding, fit them. They didn't pretend to be something different.

It was something I had always respected about Jasper. And Alice too, when we met. They knew they were weird and embraced their uniqueness.

Rosalie and Emmett came back for Lily after just one dance. They were already heading back to the house. It was their daughter's nap time. That's what they said at least. I'm sure it was their nap time too.

Edward immediately pulled me out to the dance floor. I had told him countless times about my inability to dance, but it never stopped him. He insisted on taking me to both junior and senior prom. I would have preferred curling up with him on the couch, watching some scary movie.

But here we were, dancing to "A Whole New World." Yeah, the song from Aladdin. Edward spun me in a circle.

I spun right into Alice. She giggled as she steadied me. I hugged her.

"Hello, Mrs. Hale. How are you doing on this fine day?" I asked. Alice smiled wide and gripped Jasper even tighter.

"I am doing fantastic, never better." She looked up at her husband. Husband. Holy crap. It seemed surreal.

Edward came up and shook hands with Jasper. I rolled my eyes. Boys.

"Take care of my sister. I don't know why I'm even saying that. I know that you will," Edward said.

"Thank you for trusting me with her." Edward laughed.

"You know that Em and I would have no problem killing for her."

Jasper smiled. "I'm never going to give you reason to."

Apparently satisfied, Edward stepped back towards me. He took my hand, raising it to his lips and kissing it. Then, he pulled me back into his arms.

"I love you, Isabella Marie Swan."

"You have a ridiculously long name. I'm not saying it all," I replied.

He scoffed and pretended to turn away.

"I love you Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."

* * *

Everything is all neatly wrapped up in a bow for you. It is (pretty much) the end. Review and tell me what you thought.


	21. Epilogue: We're On Fire

A/N: Yes, here it is, the epilogue. This is the last part of this story that there ever will be. I know some of you all wanted another sequel, but I feel that I've taken this story to the point I wanted to bring it. I appreciate all of you for reading and reviewing. You have made writing this story and Misplaced Affections enjoyable. I love you all. Special thanks to JasperisMYeverything and emmettslove9391 for their name suggestions.

Chapter title comes from "100 Years" by Five For Fighting.

Epilogue: We're On Fire

EPOV

I kissed her neck and her bare shoulders. She started squirming next to me. I brought my lips to hers.

"Edward, we are already late. We don't have time to do this." Bella climbed off the bed and started getting dressed.

I followed her to my closet. Even though I didn't live in this house anymore, Carlisle and Esme hadn't changed my room at all. Bella even still had some of her clothes hanging up.

"Come on, Bella. I can be quick" I whispered in her ear.

"I don't think that that is something to be bragging about," she replied. I laughed.

"We're already late. A few more minutes won't make a difference." Bella pulled a shirt over her head and then turned to look at me.

"It's my niece's second birthday. And we already promised we would be there. Just…be good," she said in a stern manner. I gave up and started getting dressed too.

I couldn't believe that we had graduated college. It seemed to me that we had just graduated high school. It really couldn't have been that long ago.

Bella and I got married the summer of our junior year. She wanted to wait until we graduated. But I can be very persuasive.

We were home for a few weeks until the move to Seattle. I was going to medical school at the University of Washington. It was a scary thought, but I was excited for the opportunity. I wanted nothing more than to be a pediatrician.

We drove to Emmett and Rosalie's house outside of Forks. They had never moved to Seattle liked they planned. Instead, they raised their family. Both of them took correspondence classes and Emmett had just gotten a job as an architect.

The first sound I heard when I walked into their backyard was Rosalie yelling.

"Lillian Elizabeth, stop hitting Aiden and Gavin." Lily put on a pout.

"But mommy, they were hitting me first." She pointed at the twins.

"How old are you, Lily?"

"Four," Lily replied proudly.

"How old are the twins?" Rosalie asked.

"Two."

"You are a big girl. You know better." Lily took off running with the twins again.

Another little girl ran up to Bella and jumped in her arms. She was so cute. Lily was the spitting-image of Rosalie; but Caci looked just like Emmett.

"Happy birthday, Acacia," Bella said with a smile.

I walked over to Alice and hugged her. Jasper shook my hand. I patted Rosalie on the shoulder. She started chasing after Lily again. That girl was a handful, just like her father.

Emmett picked me up. I was in my twenties and my brother was picking me up like he did when we were in elementary school. It was weird and familiar.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" I asked.

"Nothing much. Rosalie went to the doctor yesterday." He said it with excitement. That could only mean one thing.

"A boy?" Emmett picked me up again.

"Finally. I love my girls. I really do, but if I had another daughter, I was going to blow my brains out."

"You could stop getting your wife pregnant all together. That would certainly stop the daughter train," I replied.

"Or maybe you could start getting your wife pregnant," he said, and then turned to Bella. "Seriously, Bells, when are you going to get pregnant? Rosalie and I are on our third. Alice and Jasper had a two-for-one deal. It's time you start kicking out cousins for my kids to play with."

I frowned. Everyone always asked her that. Bella just sighed.

"Emmett, I'm only twenty-two years old. I have plenty of time to have kids. Plus, Edward is starting medical school in the fall. He really doesn't need something else to worry about."

I was really hoping that medical school wasn't the only reason that Bella kept delaying us having children. I wanted to be a dad and the sooner the better, at least in my opinion. But Bella wanted to wait for a few more years. It was always a few more years.

"Hey Caci," I said, turning to my niece. "Are you ready to blow out your birthday candles?"

"Birday," Caci replied excitedly, bouncing up and down in Bella's arms. She then blew like she was blowing out invisible candles.

"We've been practicing," Rose said, finally done chasing her daughter.

Lily now sat in time out. She had decided to kick Aidan. This was a bad move. Aidan was like Alice, outgoing and stubborn. But Gavin was like Jasper. He was loyal and if anyone messed with his brother, he would seriously injure them.

When Lily kicked Aidan, Gavin came to his defense and pushed Lily into the fence. She got angry and charged at Gavin. And he started screaming, avoiding a fight.

Alice had each of her boys on her hips. She rolled her eyes, handing one of them to Jasper. She handed the other to me.

"Go visit your Uncle Edward. Mommy needs a break," Alice said. She kissed Bella on the cheek.

"Hello, Alice. How are you doing?" Bella asked.

Ali sighed. "I'm the mother of twin boys that are bringing all new meaning to the term 'terrible twos.' I'm doing good." She smiled. "The better question is how are you doing?"

I didn't like the way that Alice was staring at Bella. It looked like she knew something. It was disconcerting.

"I'm fine," Bella replied after a few seconds of silence. Now I knew something was up. Bella only said that she was fine when she very obviously wasn't fine.

I sat Gavin on the ground and took Caci from Bella. They ran and started playing. I watched them go.

Then, I turned back to Bella. She seemed to be having a silent conversation with Alice. I was curious and worried. Bella never hid anything from me, not after everything that we had been through.

"Bella, what's up?" I asked. She glanced at me briefly and then back to Alice.

"Tell him, Bella, or I will," Alice threatened. My wife glared at my sister. I hadn't seen that look in almost five years. I was waiting for punches to be thrown again.

"Please," I pleaded. She turned to me and her gaze softened.

She bit her bottom lip. "I'm pregnant."

A baby. We were going to have a baby. So what was with Bella's lie to Emmett? Why would she hide it from me?"

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her forehead. "How long have you know?"

"About a week," she replied. A week? How could she keep it from me?

"Why didn't you say anything?" I saw tears forming in her eyes and I knew the reason why she kept it from me. Jonathan.

"Bella," I whispered. "It's okay. The baby will be okay."

She pulled away from me, angry. "What if the baby isn't okay? What if the baby…What if…"

"We can't live our lives worrying about what might happen."

About a year ago, right before we got married, Bella got pregnant. We were so excited. We picked out baby clothes and names. The baby was all we ever talked about.

And then Bella miscarried. She didn't want to talk about babies after that. She blamed herself for Jonathan—the name we were going to give the baby if it turned out to be a boy.

"I'm so scared of losing the baby," Bella whispered.

"Don't be," Alice replied. "I've already seen it. The baby will be fine."

I smiled at Alice. I loved her gift. It was fantastic, especially at times like this.

"Boy or girl?" I asked.

Bella covered my ears. "It's going to be a surprise."

My wife and sister hugged. The baby would be fine. Bella and I would be fine.

I was going to be a dad.

* * *

So, the end. Really. It is. We've laughed. We've cried. But someone once said that all good things must come to an end. I hope that the story has been good. That was really my aim in all of this.


End file.
